Claiming His Fire (19 page)

Another bite, a vicious pull, and the tear of the flesh across my shoulders before the weight of more wolves piled on top of me. Crushing me into the dirt.

Six days. It had been six days since Shadow left for North Dakota with the rest of the team. Six days of worry, waiting, and silence. The last message I’d received had said they were getting close to the state line and he wouldn’t be able to talk or text until the mission was over.

Six days of nothing since then. And not just for me.

The tension in the denhouse—the place the mates of Feral Breed members had basically taken ownership of as we waited to hear anything from our men—increased as every sunset lit up the front windows without a single phone call. Without a chime or a ping.

We spent our days huddled together at the tables in the bar area, cell phones out with the ringtones turned all the way up, trying to distract each other with small talk and plans for the carnival. I had no idea what the others were doing at night, after we finally surrendered to the need to go home. If they were anything like me, they were pacing, crying, punching pillows, eating ice cream, and obsessively checking their phones. Maybe they were all hanging out together, sharing the weight of their nerves among themselves. If they were, I hadn’t been invited. Not that any of them knew Shadow was my mate. Not that I had the guts to tell them. Not even my sister, Zuri, knew the truth. Not yet. She had so much on her plate with the new house, a wedding, and a baby on the way. Plus Phoenix was with Shadow, making her just as worried as I was. She didn’t need more stress.

Thank the Goddess, though, that Amber knew. She ate the ice cream with me and held me when the stress got to be too much, when I curled up on the couch and cried. She also sat at the denhouse day after day with me, waiting for word, distracting all of us with her organizational skills as she set us to tasks ranging from phone calls to carnival ride research.

Six days had never seemed like such a lifetime.

“Hey, sis.” Zuri pulled a barstool over and placed her phone on the bar right next to mine. Both dark and silent. Stupid useless devices.

“What’s up, momma?” I asked, pasting a weak smile on my face. “How’s my favorite niece treating you?”

Zuri shook her head, snorting a laugh. “She’s your only niece.”

“Favorite by default is still favorite.”

“What are you going to do if it’s a boy?”

I rolled my eyes, hard. “You’re a Weaver, an elemental witch from a long line of elemental witches. You’re not having a boy.”

“The wolf genes may override ours. We don’t know enough to have any idea of what’s going on with the baby.” Zuri placed her hands on her belly, her face drawn and a frown forming as she looked down at the bump. “Shit, what if it’s a boy?”

The thought made my heart jump. A male Weaver? Witches weren’t men, ever. And the thought of Zuri’s baby not having some kind of magick inside didn’t sit right with me. No way. That baby would be a witch like the rest of us; no wolfy genes could dominate our innate power.

Seeing the weight of Zuri’s worries wearing her down, I placed my hand over hers, raising my eyebrows and catching her eye.

“If it’s a boy, then you’d better learn as much as you can about the peen. Get up close and personal with Phoenix; I’m sure he won’t mind.” I pursed my lips. “Damn, if it’s a boy, I’m going to have to learn how to dye all those pretty pink things I bought. Gray. Gray might work. Or black. You won’t mind if I make your son look goth, will you?”

She snorted. “Funny.”

“I try.” I edged closer and lowered my voice. “So are you going to have an ultrasound to find out?”

She sighed and nodded. “As soon as the guys get back. Shadow was supposed to take care of it, since we can’t really deal with a regular doctor. I guess if the baby is part wolf, they can actually show signs of their wolf side in the womb or be wolf-born.”

I sat back, widening my eyes. “You mean not only is there a chance that you have an actual penis growing in your belly, it could be a dog penis?”

Zuri snorted a laugh and smacked my arm. “First off, wolf, not dog as Phoenix just loves to remind me. Second, said penis would be in my uterus, not my belly. And third, quit talking about my possible son’s penis. You’re freaking me out.”

“Oh no, this is too good. Until you know the sex of the baby, I’m running with the whole ‘there’s a penis inside you’ all the time. So you better get on that ultrasound planning.”

She blinked and took a deep breath before pasting on the fakest smile I’d ever seen her wear. “When Shadow and Phoenix come home, we’ll get it done.”

And by the Goddess did those words make my stomach sink to the floor. When…not if. When Shadow comes home. I glanced at the phones, willing one to light, to ring. But they lay dark and silent as ever, disappointing me as they’d been doing for six solid days.

Sighing, I reached out and grabbed her hand, the words about Shadow and me trying so hard to come out. She deserved to know, to celebrate with me, but this was not a time for celebration. This was a time for worry…for fear. For clinging to hope with both hands and refusing to give up.

“They’ll be back soon,” I said, the words soft, the conviction I’d had even two days ago fading.

“Yeah,” she whispered, looking no more sure of their return than I felt.

Charlotte and Kaija joined us a few minutes later, the two looking as horrible as Zuri, as badly as I felt. But at least they could all commiserate together. I stood on the outside, not because of their doing, but because of my own. Only Amber knew how hard I was taking the radio silence from the guys. She knew how desperately I wanted to hear from Shadow, had watched me pace and worry for hours on end. She also knew that I couldn’t stand to sleep in my own bed anymore. I’d been staying in Shadow’s apartment each night, jumping at every sound, wishing for the slide of a key in a lock. Wearing his shirts and curling my body around his pillow.

“I need ice cream,” Zuri said, breaking the heavy silence that had descended upon us.

“Oh, that sounds good.” Calla walked over, smiling her greetings as she joined our sad little party. “I still crave dairy products all the time. I blame the breastfeeding.”

“And on that note, I need tequila,” Charlotte added, standing up and heading behind the bar. “Ladies, it’s been a rough week. I say we get sloshed.”

“I’m in,” I called.

Zuri shook her head and pointed at her growing belly. “Uh, duh.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “I don’t just mix cocktails, Miss Azurine. I can also make one hell of a mean milk shake.”

“Sounds perfect.” Zuri grinned, a real smile this time though she still looked tired and worn.

“Oh, what the hell,” Calla said. “I’ve got enough breast milk in the freezer to feed Aliyana for a month. Hook me up with a spiked milk shake.”

“Remind me never to go digging in your freezer.” I winked at Calla as she flushed red before pointing at Zuri.

“Ali’s asleep in Rebel’s office. Can you be my backup parent since Beast is working at the shop?” Calla asked.

Zuri grinned. “Gimme the monitor. I could use some baby snuggles today. And remind me to tell you about Phoenix and the baby carrier next time you’re at my house.”

“Oh gosh, yeah. I die every time Beast straps Ali to his chest.” Calla handed Zuri a plastic, walkie-talkie type device. “But remind me to tell you what happens when your milk lets down during sex.”

I felt my face scrunch as I took two steps back. “I don’t think I want to know what that means.”

“What, sex?” Calla asked, smirking, giving me a very Beast-like eyebrow raise. “Well, you see, young Scarlett, when a man and a woman—”

“Or a woman and a woman,” Zuri said, smirking.

Kaija shrugged. “Or a man and a man.”

Zuri rolled her eyes. “Look, when two—” she waved off Charlotte, who looked ready to interrupt again “—or three or four or any number of people really like one another—”

I huffed and gave her a playful shoulder nudge. “I know what sex means, you trollop.”

“Trollop?” Charlotte said with a laugh while handing Kaija and me shots. “Who uses that word anymore?”

“My sister,” Amber said as she walked into the bar. “Though why, I have no idea.”

I shrugged. “Better than the alternatives.”

Amber rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “How’re you doing?”

I glanced at the other women, but they were all ignoring us, laughing and talking as Charlotte started liquoring most of them up. “So far, so good.”

“Liar.” She watched me, her eyes unfocused, wearing her Magic Eight Ball look. “You’ll be okay.”

“I’m more worried about Shadow,” I whispered. “I can feel him, but it’s so faint. I don’t understand this mating link thing.”

“Hey, Amber,” Charlotte hollered, interrupting us. “You want a shot?”

Amber gave me a small smile and an arm squeeze before turning toward the busty blonde. “Why the hell not?”

Six shots and a bartop sing-along to “I Touch Myself” later, I lifted my head off my folded arms enough to peer blurrily at Charlotte. “What’s vibrating?”

“Trollop,” Calla yelled, giggling drunkenly.

Charlotte shook her head slowly, staring drunkenly at a slice of lime in her glass. “Don’t look at me.”

“No, really, I hear it too.” Zuri jumped up and hurried toward the bar, rubbing her sternum. “By the Goddess, this heartburn is killing me.”

Calla looked around the bar, her eyes bleary. “Where’s Kaija?”

“She and Amber went home after the fourth shot,” Charlotte said. “It’s getting louder.”

The three of us quieted down, silent and listening, glancing worriedly at the phones lined up side by side like normal. The silent, dark phones.

“What is that noise?” I asked, the rumble growing louder.

“Yo, crazy ladies,” a shifter who’d been introduced to me as Numbers yelled from across the room. “Your boys are back.”

It took exactly two seconds for his words to navigate their way through my drunken haze. It took less than that to be on my feet and running toward the back door where the blessed sound of motorcycles pulling onto the lot reached my ears. The rest of the girls followed me, all of us stopping just outside—right next to a practically vibrating Kaija—while the men we prayed were our mates rolled to a stop.

“You could have told us,” Charlotte hissed at Kaija.

She smirked and shook her head. “Once I felt him so close, I couldn’t wait anymore. My bond was too loud. The benefit of being a shifter mated to a shifter, I guess.”

As each man dismounted his bike, his mate raced across the asphalt for him. First Charlotte, then Zuri, then Kaija. I stood and waited, wringing my hands so hard I thought I would break one, watching for Shadow, wondering if the fourth bike finally pulling onto the lot would be his. Feeling the pull of the mating bond but not clearly enough to know for sure.

The man barely had his helmet off before I was racing across the asphalt, passing the others by, completely oblivious to anything other than the long, dark hair falling over black leather.

“Oh, blessed be,” I cried.

“Hey, Firecracker.” Shadow smiled and caught me when I threw myself into his arms. I tucked my face into his neck as the tears broke through, letting down my guard now that I knew he was back. That he was safe.

“You didn’t call,” I whispered. “None of you called.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I knew you’d be worried, but there was nothing any of us could do. Jameson put us on radio silence as soon as we got to North Dakota. That order was reinforced by Blaze since we had to spend a few days in Chicago with the team to go over every detail of the job and heal up.”

A shiver flew down my spine at the thought of why they’d need to “heal up” as he so casually said. But he was back, walking, talking, and holding me. Whatever had happened couldn’t have been too bad…at least I hoped.

I peered up at him, so very thankful just to see his gray eyes again. “It didn’t go well?”

He shrugged, the motion making him wince, making my heart jump. “It went well enough. We accomplished our main goal.”

“But?”

“Yo, Shadow.” Rebel sauntered over, a tear-streaked Charlotte tucked under his arm. “How about we take care of your bandages before I head home with my lady.”

“Bandages?” I asked, that flinch from a moment ago replaying in my head. My blood turned to ice in my veins, fear almost stealing my voice. “Why do you need bandages?”

Shadow glared at Rebel. “It’s not a big deal.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Shadow.”

“Scarlett.” He pulled me closer, untangling my arms from where I’d crossed them to wrap them around his waist. Breathing me in as he nuzzled into my neck. “I’m okay.”

Reluctantly, I pulled away, pushing on his chest and forcing a little space between us. Refusing to be distracted by his naughty lips on my skin. When he didn’t offer up any details, I turned to Rebel. “What happened?”

Rebel smirked and looked me over, cocky as ever. Charlotte appeared confused by the way Shadow and I were wrapped around one another, not that I blamed her. Still, there were more important things to deal with than satisfying her curiosity. Like a mate who refused to tell me why he needed bandages.

“I swear to the Goddess, if someone doesn’t start talking—”

“Fuckers snuck up on us.” Phoenix walked over, smiling at me the same way as Rebel had. “Wouldn’t have been a big deal since taking out that pack didn’t take too long, but one big sucker bit a chunk out of Shadow before he knew what hit him. Took three of us to knock him off.”

“Yeah, after he had his teeth in me.” Shadow leaned down and ran his cheek over the top of my head. “I think my own guys did more damage than the enemy. They almost skinned me.”

I melted against him, running my hands over his back carefully, not sure where I could and couldn’t touch but needing contact. Craving skin. “Like friendly fire, but with teeth. A little friendly biting?”

Shadow growled, low and quiet against my ear as he whispered, “Is that an offer?”

“Okay, what the hell is this?” Zuri asked.

I lifted my head, staying in Shadow’s arms as she stared at the two of us. “What?”