Bad Blood (8 page)

“I came after you,” he said unnecessarily.

“So I see.”

“I’ll always come after you. No matter how far you run. Why did you do it, Blaine?”

“You know why. I told you I couldn’t submit to you like that—I couldn’t allow myself to be disciplined in front of the pack that way, and you completely disregarded my feelings.”

“No, Blaine, I didn’t.” Kerrick gazed back at him, his face stern and serious. “I listened to what you said, but you didn’t listen to me. I tried to explain how my pack felt about the bad blood, their oath of
simultas.
It may not mean much to you, but they take it very seriously. It’s a debt of honor to them, and they’ll never accept you until the bad blood between you is gone. It’s the only way, but you keep refusing to accept it.”

He came closer to Blaine and put his hands on Blaine’s biceps. “No matter how I feel about you, you’re still a member of my pack now and subject to my discipline. You have to accept your punishment before we can move on. It’s the way of our kind, Blaine, and you know it. You must submit to me. The strongest wolf is the leader of the pack.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Will you try?” Kerrick leaned closer to him. “For the sake of your pack? For my sake?”

After a long moment, Blaine nodded and Kerrick pulled him into his arms with a sigh of relief. Kerrick’s powerful arms folded around him, and he hugged him fiercely, sinking down with him on the grass, pulling Blaine on top of him. “I was afraid when you ran from me. I don’t like feeling like that. Like my happiness depends on something—someone—out of my control.”

Heat flooded Blaine’s face. “I know the feeling.”

“I knew you couldn’t have gone far, but the thought of not finding you…” His voice choked on the words. “I was so angry at you. I wanted to throttle you.” Blaine tried to throw him off, but Kerrick held him in place, stroking his body in long caresses, despite the harshness of his words. He began to kiss him, holding his face in his big hands so that he couldn’t get away.

Blaine found he didn’t want to get away. He didn’t want it to end, and when Kerrick slid down Blaine’s jeans, he helped him, sliding out of the constricting cloth so his eager cock could spring forward, bouncing between them. Kerrick took it in his hand, whispering against Blaine’s kiss-swollen lips. “So beautiful, sweetheart.” He moved his other hand to Blaine’s entrance, gently prodding a finger inside. Blaine shuddered and murmured a protest, but Kerrick ignored it, stroking inside his body, pressing the big finger in deeper. Embarrassing sounds escaped him, sounds of longing and need. Kerrick kissed them all better and soothed him with little shushing sounds against his lips.

Blaine never knew lovemaking could be like this. He was embarrassed by how needy he felt, how frantically he wanted Kerrick to push his big cock up inside him, to fill him up and keep him from thinking about anything except the pleasure and the craving.

When Kerrick pulled back his hand, Blaine looked up at him searchingly. Would he leave him like this? Needing and wanting more? But then Kerrick pushed him onto his knees and spread his legs apart, then gently painted his hole with his leaking pre-come, pushing it up inside him with a blunt finger.

“I don’t want to hurt you, baby. This won’t be enough.”

“I don’t care…please…”

Slowly he eased his thick cock between the cheeks of his ass and inside his body. Blaine pushed back eagerly, not caring if it hurt, though he had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out. He must have tensed too much because Kerrick pulled out, cursing softly and then bent to bathe his hole with his tongue, pushing it inside Blaine again and again. Blaine did cry out then, but Kerrick took his time until he thought Blaine was ready. Then and only then did he push his cock inside him.

Blaine’s tight muscles gave way under the tender invasion and soon they were locked so tight he could feel Kerrick’s strong heartbeat throbbing inside him. He began to thrust harder and harder against him, long slow moves that claimed him thoroughly. Blaine became aware that Kerrick was murmuring something to him, saying things in a rough, firm voice, over and over again.

“Yeah, that’s right. You take it. You’re mine, and you know it.”

Blaine made a wordless little noise and tried to pull away, but Kerrick pulled him back, spearing into him. “No.” Kerrick said fiercely and rained kisses down on his back and his hips. “Mine.”

He pulled Blaine up against him tightly and got up on his knees, pulling Blaine up with him, still impaled on his cock. He bit down on the back of his neck again and sucked hard, so hard that it was painful, and Blaine shuddered, whimpering at the sting of his teeth.

Immediately, he started to bathe the bite with his tongue, healing it over at last. Blaine could feel it, the torn tissue knitting itself back together, sealing over the venom and enclosing it under the skin. The venom raced down his body and felt like a lightning strike in his groin. Kerrick took Blaine’s cock in his hand after one long stroke up and back down, Blaine arched back and came with a hoarse scream, spilling his come over Kerrick’s hand. Kerrick groaned too and grabbed Blaine around the waist as he shot hot semen into his body. They collapsed down together on the ground, and Blaine fell over into Kerrick’s arms.

When he could talk again, Blaine blew out a long breath. “What the hell was that with the bite? It felt like it finally healed over this time.” He put a hand back to feel soft, smooth skin where the wound had been. It was still tender to the touch, but there was no scabbing or even a scar to show where it had been.

Kerrick nuzzled the side of Blaine’s face. “The bite of a Dire Wolf is an important part of our mating. The first bite was to claim your body—to show you and the rest of the world that you belong to me. The second bite is to take hold of your mind. I can read your thoughts now and to some extent, you can read mine. It would be even stronger if you were a Dire too.”

“It’s strong enough,” Blaine said, a hint of resentment in his tone. “Those images of my face during sex I can do without, thanks very much.”

Kerrick chuckled. “You’re beautiful, and you know it. The last bite, the one I just gave you…” he stared down at Blaine, trying to see his expression. “Now don’t get all pissed off. It’s just the way it works. I didn’t design it.”

“Oh fuck, what is it? What did you do to me?”

“Nothing bad. It’s to claim your essence—your spirit, in a way.”

Blaine stiffened and pulled away to stare into Kerrick’s eyes in horror. “Are you talking about my
soul
? Oh my God, please don’t tell me you’re some kind of demon.”

“No. Don’t be silly. Not your soul—it’s nothing religious at all. It’s hard to explain, but the bite is a mark of total possession. It goes both ways, so don’t get all huffy. We belong to each other now, and nothing can ever break our bond—not even death. Technically, the mating isn’t complete until all three bites are given and received.”

“
Now
you tell me,” Blaine grumbled, but he tucked his head back under Kerrick’s chin. “A loophole, huh? So I could have still got out of this thing before a few minutes ago?”

“You could have.” Kerrick settled Blaine more comfortably against him. “But stop trying to pretend you wanted to. I had you the first time you saw me.”

“Yeah, you just keep on telling yourself that.”

Kerrick dropped a kiss on his lips. “Smartass,” he said fondly and then quieted as he suddenly lifted his head and stiffened in alarm.

“What is it?” Blaine asked, pulling away a little. Then he heard a soft footstep behind him and whirled around to follow Kerrick’s gaze.

“Colby!” His cousin stood on the trail, some twenty feet away from them. His little mate, Amelia, stood just behind him, peeking over his shoulder and four former members of Blaine’s pack, along with their females stood beyond her. Blaine recognized them all as Colby’s closest friends.

Colby was staring at him with a look of horror on his face. “Blaine?” His voice was hoarse and sounded stricken. “Blaine, what the hell are you
doing
?”

Blaine scrambled to his feet. He pulled out of Kerrick’s grip when he tried to put him behind him.

“No.” He turned back to Colby. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? What the fuck are
you
doing?” Colby glared menacingly at Kerrick. “You were kissing that-that…”

“What do you want, Colby?” Blaine was acutely aware he had no clothes on as he faced his cousin. He’d been nude around him all his life during shifts and runs, but suddenly he felt exposed in front of him. “Kerrick ordered you to clear out.”

“Kerrick ordered me?
Kerrick?
So, what, are you a fag now, Blaine? For
this
son-of-a-bitch?”

“Watch your mouth, Colby,” Blaine said menacingly, his hands clenching. He took a step toward him, but Kerrick put a restraining hand on his arm.

“Are you letting him
fuck
you? Is that why he didn’t banish you too? You’re going to be his little ass whore?”

Blaine snarled, his canine teeth dropping out of his gums as he lunged for Colby. Only Kerrick’s strong grip around his waist held him back.

“Get out of here, Colby!” Kerrick said, the steel in his voice at odds with its quiet tone. “Or I’ll turn him loose on you. Find another place to go and be quick about it, or I’ll throw you off the side of this mountain myself.”

Colby shook his head, his face a mask of revulsion as he stared at Blaine. Amelia plucked at his sleeve, imploring him to go, but he stood his ground. His face was pale and his wide eyes were shockingly blue.

“
Him
, Blaine? You want
him
of all people?”

Blaine knew he was going to attack even before he moved. He could see it in the feral gleam of his eyes. With a suddenness that surprised even Blaine, Colby fell down on all fours and shifted into his wolf. His ears lay back against his head and his long fangs gleamed in the weak light. Blaine staggered back a step, disbelieving his eyes, as Colby leaped for Kerrick, taking the larger man by surprise and ripping down his chest with his wicked long claws.

Colby landed on top of Kerrick and took him by the throat, his fangs sinking into the tender flesh like a knife into butter. Bright blood shot from the wounds, and Blaine saw Kerrick flash his eyes toward him, as if desperate for one more look. Colby had taken Kerrick by surprise, and Blaine saw that he was about to rip out his throat. With a fierceness and strength that surprised even him, he tore Colby off his mate and threw him across the clearing. The screams of Colby’s female registered only dimly as he saw Colby’s body slam into a tree and slide to the ground. He shifted in mid-leap, landing on top of Colby and sinking his teeth in his throat. Colby never made another sound.

Heaving in great gulps of air, Blaine turned back to his mate, running back to him and standing over him protectively while he challenged the others, whining and snarling in fury. They backed down the trail, pulling a screaming Amelia with them as they held up their hands in front of them.

He turned back to Kerrick and licked furiously at the bloody wounds on his neck. He shifted back to his human form as Kerrick opened his eyes weakly and stared up at him. The wounds were healing, but Kerrick had lost a lot of blood.

He rained kisses down on his lips and cheeks and along his jaw. “Speak to me, baby. Can you talk?”

Kerrick tried to smile and nodded up at him. “I think so,” he said, his voice creaky and hoarse. I thought for a minute there…” He shivered a bit and Blaine ran his hands along his arms, trying to warm him. “He almost had me.”

“Take it easy. Don’t try to move yet.”

Kerrick nodded. “He took me by surprise. I knew he’d be jealous, but I never thought he’d react so strongly.”

“Jealous?” Blaine looked down at Kerrick blankly. “What are you talking about? Didn’t you hear the things he said to me? To us?”

“I heard. Total bullshit. I believe he’s always had a sick fascination for you. He was horrified by those feelings, I guess, and resented you for them. That resentment turned to hatred, I think. And this is the result.”

Blaine glanced back over at Colby’s body lying beside the tree. He had shifted back to his human form and was on his back, his sightless eyes turned toward the sky. Blaine covered his face with his hands. “I-I couldn’t stop myself. When I saw him hurting you…” A loud sob shook his body. “I shouldn’t have killed him.”

Kerrick put a hand on his arm. “I don’t think you had much choice. He’d have finished me off and gone after you. I saw his eyes, Blaine. He’d totally lost it.”

“But I never realized he resented me so much. That he hated me. He never said anything to make me think…”

“Don’t think about it anymore,” Kerrick said, drawing him down to his chest. “You saved me, Blaine. Keep that in mind.”

“I will,” Blaine said softly, but he stole another glance at Colby’s still form and a shudder wracked his body. Kerrick reached for him and held him close to his heart. He pressed a kiss to the top of his head. The sun was beginning to go down west of the mountains, casting a soft red glow on the blue peaks, the beauty of the scene in front of them in stark contrast to the ugliness behind them. Blaine lay for a long time in Kerrick’s arms, letting him gather his strength. He buried his face in Kerrick’s neck, breathing in the comforting scent of his mate, and blocking out the strong smell of death behind him on the trail.

It was late and Kerrick and Blaine were alone in the lodge by the big fireplace. The logs crackled on the hearth and a big one fell with a shower of sparks. Blaine snuggled into his alpha’s arms. The last few weeks had been busy for both of them, trying to join the new pack together and work out the new dynamics of who exactly did what.

After learning of Blaine’s defense of their alpha, the Dires had agreed they could cancel the
simultas
against their alpha’s mate, and though relations were still a little rocky, they were beginning to accept him as their new beta and Kerrick’s second. Blaine’s own pack still hadn’t completely warmed up to the idea but most were coming around.