Climbing the Ladder (9 page)

“What…what do you do?”

“I’m—” How did he describe it? “I guess you could say I’m the sheriff, honey.”

“Oh. Okay.” She bumped his arm with hers. “I have to warn you. Kody doesn’t respond

well to penal types.”

“No?” He grinned. “I won’t put him in jail.”

“Okay. He’s too pretty for jail.” She chuckled, pinked.

“He is, huh?” He fed her a piece of bacon.

“Yeah.” She opened up, so pretty. God, he wanted to eat her alive.

Unable to resist the urge, he kissed the corner of her mouth once she chewed and

swallowed.

“I…” Her eyes cut to Kody, who smiled from the kitchen, bacon sandwich in his hand.

“He might throw us in jail, huh?” Kody’s tease was gentle. Soft. Sweet.

“I don’t want hurt you, Kody. I love you.” Her fingers twined with his, and he could see

the worry in her eyes. So hard, to put away everything she’d known and learn to be Pack.

“I know.”

“We know, honey.” Mesa stroked her back.

Kody nodded, his mate’s approval filling the entire cabin, and Sammy melted into

Mesa’s touch.

It felt good. So good.

“This is very odd.” She turned her face up for another kiss, and he took it. She had to

follow her instincts; the wolf needed its mate.

Mesa hummed, licking at her lower lip. Sweet. Her lips were sweet.

He dove in, kissing her hard, moaning as she responded. Mesa was so damned happy that

she was coming around, that somewhere in there she knew. He pushed her back, covering her,

mouth on her throat.

She tensed a little as if she might fight him, but then she let her nails dig into his

shoulders.

Good girl.

He rewarded her with soft nuzzles, licks to her throat. She was soft. Smooth. As a wolf,

her belly would be perfect. Mesa moved south, exploring her chest, the skin of her ribs, her belly with his tongue just as he had with his fingers. Beautiful. She was curvy but strong. He pushed her top up, nibbling, leaving tiny bites that made her jerk, murmur.

She was holding him as if she was ready to let it all go. Like she was ready to be his.

His lady. His queen.

His.

His teeth scraped over her hip.

She moaned, and so did Kody. Mesa glanced up, meeting Kody’s eyes. Kody smiled at

him, the look hungry, wolfish. His lover stayed away, though, let him firm their bond. Good

man. Mesa would reward him soon. He licked down her lower belly, chin resting just above her

curls.

She smelled like heaven, like his, earthy and right, He rested his forehead on her

stomach, breathed in deep. Delicious.

He had to push the rest of her clothes out of the way, get her little yoga pants off so he

could taste the rest of her.

“Kody…you’re so far away.”

Kody chuffed softly. “Sammy. I’m right here. Watching.”

“S…such a boy.”

“He’ll be with us again soon, honey.” Mesa kissed her belly. “Right now, look at me.”

“This isn’t like me.” He bet she’d said exactly the same thing to Kody, the first time he’d

loved her.

“It is now.” He chuffed against her skin before dipping his head to nuzzle her curls.

Sammy shifted, and her little gasp made him ache. Sweet lady. He licked, pressing down. Bright and tart, the taste of her made him growl, tongue sliding over her clitoris, just teasing the little nub.

The way she shifted, sliding against him, made him grunt. He wanted.

“Use your fingers, too, mate. She loves that.” Kody’s voice was a deep growl.

“Does she?” He smiled a little, then licked some more, teasing.

Sammy’s fingers tangled in his hair.

Mesa pushed a finger up along her folds, following the path of his tongue. Sammy arched

up, demanding girl, sweet cunt slick and hot and wet for him. He licked, pressing his tongue

against her clit as his finger slid inside her. God, she was perfect.

“Please.” She rocked down, took his finger in, murmuring his name.

His name. A surge of happy triumph swept through him, and he gave her another finger,

his tongue pushing at her. Her clit was deliciously sensitive, each lick making her just that much wilder against him.

She spread wide for him, letting him in, and he pushed against her, pushed her to fly.

“Mate!” The word was barked out as she clenched around his fingers, her heels digging

into his back.

He chuffed, so proud of her, so proud of Kody, too. He pushed his fingers in and out of

her, working her hard. She rode him desperately, her slick walls trembling around his fingers as he drove her wild.

So good. He was already in love with her. She just needed to let go.

She tugged at his hair. “Please. Please, in me. Hard. Mesa.”

“Now. Yes.” He slid up her body and kissed her mouth, aching to be in her. Her hand was

around his cock, guiding the tip into perfect fucking wet heat. Mesa pushed, slid inside her, his hands coming to rest on her hips.

Good. So good. He growled happily, hips starting to move, push inside her. He held her,

moving back and forth, his breath coming hard. She felt like heaven.

His.

His eyes rolled, and he saw Kody, watching, one hand moving on the long, hard cock.

He nodded, wanting his sweet lover with them, but knowing he and Sammy had to do this

one alone. Kody would get all the love he could bear soon. A wave of acceptance, love, lust,

need—they hit him at once, making him howl, making Sammy jerk, her eyes huge.

He tried to keep her with him, tried to remember to touch her clit, to keep her going. He

was going to come any second, though. She jerked, body clenched around him, her nails digging

into his shoulders.

“Sammy!” Mesa shot, his eyes wide open, staring into hers. He felt it, a click in his soul

as she opened to him. His female. His lady. Their Queen.

Thank God. His entire body knew it, and the last vestiges of his headache faded away.

He slumped down on Sammy, breathing hard, her arms wrapping around him.

Mesa nuzzled her throat, biting a tiny bit. His lady. His and Kody’s.

He knew it, now, balls deep.

He watched the road move under them. They were going to stop again, he knew it. Mesa

was tired and hungry; Sammy was restless, the wolf threatening.

Kody was going to die.

He hadn’t slept since they’d left LA, had focused all his energy, his power on what he

was meant to do—strengthening the bond between his Alphas.

He blinked hard, the shadows the clouds left behind looking like other wolves. Hunting

wolves. Hunting them.

Hunting his Alphas.

“Do you want to stop for a bit, baby?” Mesa sounded far away.

“Sure.” One more night, then a half day tomorrow. Then he was going to Granny’s and

getting a hug, he hoped. A hug and a nap.

“Are you gonna make it, baby? You look peaked.” Mesa’s worry was like a physical

thing.

“Uh-huh.” Calm. He was calm. Peaceful. La la la.

“Okay. Okay, baby.” Mesa started looking for a place to pull off.

The edges of his vision were silvery and sparkling. It was fascinating.

“Kody?” Sammy’s fingers touched his cheek, stroked him.

“Uh-huh?”

“You okay?” She sounded worried.

“Uh-huh.”

“Kody, you’re crying.” She wiped his face, her fingers coming away wet.

He was just so tired. “Shh. I’m okay.”

“I don’t think so.”

He focused on calm. Peace.

She was doing so good.

“We’re stopping, honey.” Mesa said from the front.

“We need to. He’s all gray.”

“I’m fine.” Calm. Peaceful.

“Kody!” Mesa’s sharp bark made him jump a little.

“What?” Don’t yell. He was tired.

“Kody, you have to stay with us, baby.”

Stay with them. He loved them. Both. So much.

“Kody?” His girl was crying, was scared.

“Shh.”

“I just need you to stay with us five more minutes.” Mesa pulled off the highway.

“I’ll stay ‘wake ‘til get home.”

“No.” Mesa sounded so sure. “No, you can rest soon. Sammy, make sure he stays awake,

okay? The last thing I need is to run off the road because something happens with the bond.”

“I will. Promise.”

Kody rolled his eyes. They needed him awake. She needed him.

“I know, baby.”

Someone was humoring him. Kody growled softly, teeth bared.

“Oh, now, don’t get all growly on me, baby.”

“I think we should stop at the hospital, Mesa. His eyes are weird.”

“We’ll take care of him, honey.” Mesa glanced back at them, frowning. The truck

stopped and Mesa growled. “Keep him here, lady.”

Sammy’s hands were on his face, so soft, so warm. “I’m worried about you, love.”

“Shh. I’m fine. You’re fine.”

They turned into somewhere blurry and parked. Mesa disappeared like smoke, but was

back a few minutes later. “Come on, you two.”

He told his legs to move him. He needed to feed his mates, get them to rest.

Sammy got out of the truck, and Mesa picked Kody up.

“Mesa…” The touch made him ache, made him hard.

“Yes, baby. Right here. I should have thought. Granny said you would be open.”

He blinked, just a little dazed, a little lost. “Need to feed you both.”

“Mmm. You need to rest. Lie down with us.”

“Rest…” He couldn’t. He had to watch. Stay awake. Protect them while the bond formed.

Had to.

“Shh. Yes. Rest. She’s ours now.” Mesa laid him out on the bed. A hotel then.

“I need to protect you.”

“Just as we need to protect you.” Mesa stroked his hair. “Watch him, Sammy.”

“We need to find a doctor…” Scared. His mate was scared. He turned toward her,

rumbling softly.

Love. Lady.

“No.” Mesa said it firmly, touching them both. “No doctors.”

Oh… Oh, better.

He whimpered, eyes rolling. “Please.” He wasn’t even sure what he was asking for.

“Shh. Love. I got you.”

“Mesa…”

“We’re good, baby. I’ll be right here.”

“I have to stay awake…”

“Not now.” Mesa settled next to him, Sammy on his other side.

Warm. They were warm. They were warm and there with him, and his head was easing

off. Oh. Oh, mates.

Love.

Love.

* * * *

“What’s wrong with him?” Sammy looked at Mesa, frowned over Kody’s sleeping body.

He was feverish, not burning up, but too warm, and Mesa had insisted that they all get into the bed together, Kody snuggled between them, which couldn’t be healthy for him. “Hell, what’s

wrong with me?”

“Which one do you want me to answer first, honey?”

That didn’t even need thought. “I need to know what’s wrong with Kody.”

“He’s tired.” Mesa smiled over Kody’s head.

“That’s all? You swear? His eyes were weird.” Glowing, sort of.

“I promise. We need to stay with him, touch him.” Mesa sounded so sure, and something

inside her believed.

“Touch him?” Her hands roved over Kody, touching the warm, smooth skin.

“Yes. He’s been pouring everything into us.” Mesa kissed her fingers when they got

close. “We need to focus on him now.”

“Pouring. Mesa, I don’t understand.” She had spent the last few days in a daze. She didn’t

understand anything about what was going on. Still. She loved Kody. She’d do anything for him.

“I know, honey.” He reached across Kody to stroke her cheek. So good. That touch was

so sweet. “You know Kody has special talents?”

That she did know. She hadn’t believed in psychics until she met him, but her Kody had

known her—bone-deep. He’d known about her past, about her soul. Her heart. She might have

questioned it lately, but she’d known it all along. Sammy nodded. “He does. He’s amazing.”

“Yeah. Well, he’s been using his talent a lot to help you and me get to know each other.”

“I can believe that. I never just go on a road trip like this. Never.” And that didn’t even

touch the fact that she’d let him make her come over and over.

“No. Kody says you’re very driven.” He held her hand on top of Kody’s hip.

“I just try to be my best. It’s not easy.” She’d been on her own a long, long time. “You

promise he’s okay?”

“I do.” Mesa really didn’t sound worried. Tired, yeah.

“When are we going back? I have to start looking for a new job, start dealing with my

shit again.” She knew the question was weird. She knew it, but she didn’t know why or how.

“Let’s just do one day at a time, honey. Hell, one thing at a time, huh? What’s your

favorite thing to eat?”

“Steak. I love a good steak.” Just barely cooked on the outside. Kody was so good at

those.

“Mmm. I like lamb. Do you like lamb?”

“Kody made that for me. I’d never really eaten it before him. Did you know that girls in

LA are supposed to eat a lot of salads?” Something about Mesa made her ramble a little bit.

“Kody thought that was silly. He cooked bacon and roast. And chicken. And pizza.” She

chuckled. This was not very lady-like. “I’m supposed to say watercress sandwiches and yogurt,

aren’t I?”

“Hell, no.” He laughed, too, stroking her hand. “You need to like meat. Makes you

strong.”

“I tried to be a vegetarian in college. I got really sick. I was surprised Kody wasn’t a

vegetarian. I thought he would be.”

“No. Not even Kody can get away with that.” Mesa chuckled some more.

“Has he always been psychic?” Kody knew things—it was as if he could read her heart.

Sometimes it had scared her, how much he knew. He’d never been able to answer questions

about his talent, about when he’d known that was what he wanted to do with his life.

“Yes. Though I didn’t know it until recently.” Mesa growled a little now. “There was a