At One's Pleasure (8 page)

On her part
Becca was determined to ignore them.  Margaret was going to have a beautiful
wedding, and Becca was determined to enjoy it.  Tomorrow she was supposed to be
going home, that would be soon enough to worry about all the rest of it.

The wedding
was beautiful, even if hardly anyone but the mother of the bride showed
emotion.  The groom was handsome and in Becca’s opinion cold, she hated that
Margaret was marrying such an obvious snob but who was she to judge another's
choices?  She had spent the night having sex with three werewolves.  Casting
stones was the last thing she wanted to do. 

She
determinedly avoided catching the bouquet, and ignored the growing need she had
to find one of her men.  The pictures seemed to take forever, and as the day
wore on it became harder and harder to ignore the need growing inside for her
“pack.”

Since it was
a small wedding, the reception was in an intimate formal dining room that
opened to a tropical garden and a candle lit dance floor, on the other side of
the lush greenery and tropical blooms you could hear the crashing of the surf. 
It was a beautiful spot and after the extravagant dinner and toasts, everyone
retired to the garden where the white cream wedding cake was decorated with
real pearls and tropical blooms.

Becca was
escorted out by her assigned groomsman.  He had spent most of the night
flirting with her breasts, though she could hardly blame him.  The rose bustier
that went with the long silk skirt was presenting them in such a way as to seem
like an invitation. 

He was
attractive in a tennis playing espresso-drinking way, and he did absolutely
nothing for her.  In fact, she had to fight a feeling of wrongness whenever his
expensive cologne drifted her way.  She finally had to breathe out of her mouth
in order to get all the way through dinner with him scooted so close to her
side. 

She was not
looking forward to the obligatory dance, but she figured she could lose him as
soon as that was finished.  However, when she had to move his hands from her
ass on the way to the garden she determined that it might be prudent to ditch
him at the first opportunity. 

She looked
up after repositioning the roving hand for the third time directly into ice
blue eyes. 

Jacob.
 
Even as she watched, his eyes were bleeding to wolf.  He looked ready to shift
his tux apart and decimate her escort right there. 
So not good.

Without
considering how it might look she launched herself across the floor and into
Jacob's arms.  Her arms wrapped tight around his neck.  He caught her up, her
feet dangling a foot off the ground, but his eyes were still trained on the
shocked man behind her.  She bit his neck to distract him and his arms tighten
around her with a hiss. 

“Jacob, get
a hold of yourself,” she whispered fiercely right up against his lobe.  “You
can’t shift here.”

“He was
touching you.”  His voice was gravely and harsh.  Too close to wolf.  Becca
could feel his skin moving beneath the thin silk of her dress.  This was going
to get so bad if she didn’t do something.  Where was Griffin when she needed
him?   

“Jacob
please, for me, come back.”  Becca placed a beseeching kiss against his neck,
her voice as soft and suggestive as she could make it.  “I need you.” 

She licked
his neck where she had bitten him, and trailed her lips up to his jaw.  He
shuddered and finally his eyes closed against the sight of the other man who
proved he had no idea how close he was to dying by looking so disgusted by her
display. 

Jacob
growled a warning in his direction and then he caught her mouth in a brutal
possession that stated quite clearly who she belonged to. 

Becca was
vaguely aware that they had a growing audience and she was kissing what would
look like a hotel employee in front of everyone.  After she had just been
introduced as Griffin's "fiancé."

That
should give them something to talk about.

She figured
that was still better than Jacob shifting to wolf and tearing into the
groomsmen.  She had to get him away, preferably before she forgot why it would
be a bad idea to have sex with him on the dance floor. 

She pulled
her mouth from his with an effort.  He tasted so good and he was kicking out
pheromones that had her wolf howling for more. 

“Take me
away from here Jacob,” she said, out of breath, before he could take her under
again. 

With one
last warning look to the offending groomsman, he walked out of the reception,
carrying her through the twittering party guests and past the amazed bride.

She could
hear the talk hit an all time gossip high as soon as they were out the door. 
Wonderful, but not something she could afford to worry about now.  Not when she
could feel Jacob’s intentions hard and hot even through the tuxedo slacks and
silk. 

She might
have stopped him from attacking the groomsman of many hands, but the aggression
was obviously being rechanneled into something for which they would need
privacy.

They made it
as far as the next room.  He managed to get the door closed before he was
ripping the rose silk off her as if it was tissue paper. 

Becca had
the brief chance to see they were in a conference room, complete with many
leather seats around an oval table. 

Jacob placed
her flat on her back on that same table.  All that was left of the clothing was
her silk thigh highs and heels.  Everything else was shredded and strewn about
the room.  She was saturated in his drugging scent and it was hard to think of
anything but getting his cock where she needed it. 

She tried
again to speak aware that the door was closed but unlocked, anyone could walk
in.

“The
door...”  She started, but he had buried his face between her thighs and was
using his long wolf tongue to dig for cream.  She groaned out her last worry ,
grabbing his long hair out of the cord it was tied in, she pulled him into her
grasping cunt and held him there.

He nipped
and sucked and licked until she was screaming out her orgasm, and he just kept
licking until he had it all, then, her hands loosening their death grip on his
hair he backed up and bit her inner thigh marking her again before he stood. 

He ripped
his pants open with one hand while he dragged her to the edge of the table with
the other, then when he had his steel cock free, he placed the head at the opening
and jerked her forward even while he was plunging down. 

Becca
screamed, partly in pain but mostly because it just felt that good.  Her back
arched off the table and he took it as an invitation, his hands pulping her
breasts while his mouth latched onto one pebbled nipple and then the other.  He
bit again, even as he pulled out and surged back in. 

“Mine,” he
growled his mouth full of breast, the taste of her blood on his tongue. 

“Mine,” he
said as his hands left her breasts to clasp her thighs, pull them further
apart, and up under his arms. 

He was as
close as he could get without being on the other side of her and he pounded
over her clit building her pleasure where there should have been only pain. 

“Mine.” 
With a final frenzy, Jacob howled his release pushing Becca over her own edge
with a hot pulse of seed directly into her womb.

Even before
her scream of release stopped echoing in the room the door to the hall crashed
open and Jacob was yanked up and flung against yet another wall.  Becca was
looking at her second enraged werewolf of the evening. 

She expected
Griffin to pounce on her or start yelling; instead, he pulled off his suit
jacket and helped her into it. 

“Did he hurt
you?”  His voice was his usual angry growl but it was clear from the way he was
looking at her, he wasn’t angry with her.  He closed and locked the door
against any possible interruption.

His obvious
care had her breath hitching with emotion. 

“I’m fine,”
she said, sitting up and pulling the jacket more firmly around her.  “He didn’t
hurt me.”

She couldn’t
keep her hands from shaking.  Now that the danger was passed, everything was
hitting her at once.  Jacob had not hurt her beyond a few bites and bruises but
between the adrenaline rush of his near turn, then the punishing sex, she was
exhausted, bruised, and beginning to feel incredibly self-conscious.  

Had they
heard the screams next door at the reception?  What must Margaret think? 

Becca pushed
her hair back from her face with unsteady hands, the hairspray held some of her
hair in place.  The rest was falling out of the pins and down her back.  Once
again, she was covered in the scent of werewolf and sex.  “How did you know to
come?”

“All the
people working the party are ours.  One of the wolves saw what happened and
came to get me.  He said Jacob nearly lost control of his shift and you stopped
him.”

“That’s
about it.”

“That’s not
about it.  Jacob is an enforcer, if he was losing it you should have gotten out
of the way.”  Now his anger was directed at her and she so didn’t like it.  Her
own anger stopped the shaking though.

“And have
him shifting on the dance floor?”

“It never
would have gone that far, Jacob has more control than that.  He would have
pulled it back.”

“Bull.”  The
word was succinct.  “He was coming out of his skin, literally.  He was going to
kill that man.”

There was
silence while the room seemed to rise in temperature.  “What man?”  Just that
fast Griffin had gone from angry to furious, and Becca felt her own anger
deflate.

Crap.

“She’s
right.”  Jacob’s voice had returned to human, thank goodness.  “If she hadn’t
done what she did my wolf would have torn him apart.”

“Who?”

“One of the
groomsmen had his hands on her ass.”

Becca,
seeing the storm brewing in both men’s faces, hurried to interrupt.  “I was in
the process of removing his hand.  Which was there barely a second, if that,
before I pushed him back.  I was going to ditch the guy as soon as the dance
was over.”

“You were
going to dance with him?”  If anything Griffin’s voice got quieter and more
deadly.

Crap.
 
“He was my escort down the aisle.  We were all supposed to dance once with the
groomsman who was our escort.  It was part of the wedding.  I didn’t want to
dance with him, dang it."

Griffin
didn't even let her finish before he was standing between her legs leaning over
her with one hand on the table behind her and his free hand around her neck. 
Not painfully, but it definitely got her attention.  "Clearly we need to
go over the rules here."

"Great,"
she said, grabbing the hand at her throat and thrusting out her chin
belligerently.  "Let’s start with the one where I'm not a child in need of
training."  She narrowed her eyes.  "Or I know, how about the one
against announcing phantom engagements without prior consent?"

He actually
growled.  "Jacob get on the phone and get some clothes in here.  Then
switch with Linc.  He can cover the reception.  You take the hotel.  I'm taking
Rebecca back to the house."

Where no
one could hear me scream?
  Becca rolled her eyes against her own drama. 
I
don't think so.

"Forget
it."  She said trying unsuccessfully to pull his hand away from her neck. 
"I'm not going anywhere with you when you look like you want to rip out my
throat.
 For almost dancing.
"  The pause was caustic.  "
At
a wedding
."

"Careful,
little bit."  He squeezed his hand just enough to be a warning, not a
threat.

"Or what?" 
Becca asked, aware that she was pushing it but unable to back down. 
"You'll hurt me?"  She scoffed.  "Throw me against whatever wall
is handy, like you do Jacob?"  She leaned into his hand until they were
nose to nose.  Her eyes very serious on his.  "You won't hurt me."

He searched
her eyes, his own lightening to normal human.  "No.  I won't," he
said, breathing out a heavy sigh.  "But we will have this discussion Rebecca. 
We are wolves, some rules must be absolute, and you must obey them.  For all
our sakes."

Becca felt
her whole body relax as his wolf retreated.  The relief was almost physical. 
She could bend for this relationship as long as she wasn't the only one doing
it. 

"All
right," she said on a deep breath.  "I'll listen to your rules, but
Griffin," she said, her hand caressing down the side of his face as his
eyes closed.  "You have to give me the same courtesy.  Some things, for
me, are absolute too.  I get final say in my own life." 

He growled
again, pressing his face against her neck and breathing her in.

"It
would be so much easier if you did what I said when I said it."  He
sounded like such an old grouch, that it made her laugh.

"Boy,
did you get the wrong girl." 

Then he was
leaning up and looking her in the eyes.  His expression the softest she had
ever seen.  His hands cradled her face while he looked at her with that soft
light in his eyes.  "I think I got exactly the right girl.”  He kissed her
softly, and it felt like a benediction.  "Thank you for saving our
wolf."

Her breath
shuddered out against his lips, and then her head clunked down and landed near
his collarbone.  "You are so..."

Before she
could even begin to finish that sentence there was a knock on the door and a
vaguely familiar older man was admitted and relieved of his clothes burden by a
nearly forgotten Jacob. 

He was oh,
so careful about not looking at Rebecca but also pointedly not leaving, and
nervous about something.  She realized he must be one of the wolves that worked
at the hotel.  

She felt
Griffin kiss the top of her head before moving to stand in front of her. 
"Maxwell," Griffin said his voice back to his customary Lord of the
Manor tone.

"Sorry
to interrupt sir but I thought you should know Linc received some news from the
main land.  He seems...Agitated."

“Linc
doesn't get agitated.”  Jacob said while pulling on the khaki slacks and light
blue button up dress shirt that was the standard uniform.

"No
sir," Was all Maxwell answered.

"Where
is Linc now?"  Griffin asked, and Becca could clearly see the tension
return to his shoulders.

"Main
office, sir."

"Very
well." 

Maxwell took
that as the dismissal it was and left his face just as expressionless.  Rebecca
jumped off the table and started to dress in the girl version of their uniform,
which was a skirt instead of trousers.  A little long and her rose heels seemed
a bit much but otherwise it fit fine.  She was suddenly too worried about Linc
to be self-conscious anyway.

"Where's
the main office?"  She asked, tying the too big shirt at the waist.  Jacob
was already heading for the door when Griffin grabbed her hand to follow.

"We'll
all go," he said.  The very lack of inflection in his words worried her
more than what he didn't say.

***

They found
Linc standing at a big picture window in the main office.  Becca took the time
to notice it was a huge room with lots of light and more than one giant desk
before she was running to Linc.  She felt his need, and his pain. 

He pulled
her into his arms without even looking away from the breathtaking garden view. 

"What's
wrong?"  He bent down burying his nose in her neck and gave a whole body
shudder.  "Linc, you're scaring me.  What is it?"

"Just...Give
me a moment." 

She knew both
Jacob and Griffin were standing close on either side of Linc waiting.

He looked at
Griffin over Becca’s head.  "My Father is dead."

Griffin felt
the news like a punch to his gut.  Even as Becca gasped and pulled Linc closer
"Oh Linc...”  There was nothing to say.  Nothing she could do to help. 
Griffin and Jacob both held on to Linc while he buried his face in her hair and
cried.

Because of
the early separation in their ranks, none of them was allowed a connection to
their old pack until they were mated.  Now that they were no longer considered
a threat to old loyalties because of Becca, it was now possible for them to
contact their family again.  It was too late for Linc and his dad and the old
man would never know.

"I
called to tell him we were official now, and found out he passed away two days
ago."

"How?" 
Griffin asked as Jacob wrapped his arms around both Linc and Becca and held
on. 

Griffin
watched Linc grow cold before his eyes.  "Ruth says he was running on his
own and was killed by a human hunter.  They found him in the forest shot in the
head and left there."

There was no
mistaking the hardening on Griffin’s eyes or the feelings of rage coming off
all three of her men.  Becca stepped back still held in their arms but able to
see them through tear filled eyes.  She wiped at the tears studying them all.

"What's
going on?"

"Who
found him?"  Griffin’s voice was as hard as she'd ever heard it.

"Malcolm."

Jacob
growled. 

"Who is
Malcolm and what is going on?"

"Malcolm
is the pack enforcer.  He is also mate to my Aunt.”  Linc said, "He killed
her husband for status and then forced my Aunt to mate."

"That's
barbaric."  Becca shuddered going back into Linc’s arms as Jacob hugged
her from behind. 

"Yes. 
The old ways are fading but not fast enough, and not in my father’s
pack."  Griffin was grim.  His eyes on Linc’s.  "When is the
memorial?"