Force of Nature Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4) (64 page)

“And the others? Surely they all weren’t killed by the same man.”

Phil shook his head.

“Then what killed them? Who did this?”

“Mostly starvation. Some suicide. Harvey, the brother, makes the rounds once or twice a week to gather them up. He doesn’t think he can take it much longer. There are a few there that…they aren’t all from this pack. This morning, Sterling attacked a pack of fifty looking for Georgia and her cubs.”

Connor took pictures. He couldn’t send these, afraid that someone else, CJ or Alexis, would see them. He put his phone away and moved to Phil. He was making a decision that he thought would get his ass chewed out by his brother, but he needed something, anything to take before the board.

“Snatch the brother, the driver. Take him to one of your hidey holes, something that has a steel lining. We need someone to confirm this. Also…Christ, I can’t believe I’m asking you this, please don’t let Holly see this. I’m begging you. I know she’s seen a lot of death, but this…please?”

Keeping secrets between mates was forbidden. But Phil, as a very powerful vamp, was able to do things that no other could. He didn’t hesitate to ask him to do this because he loved his sister and didn’t want something like this, something so heinous, to spoil her pregnancy. Phil looked ready to say no, but then seemed to change his mind. Connor was suddenly very afraid he’d done something equally as stupid to have Phil keep quiet.

“I’ll do it, but you owe me. I need something from you that I…it’s about Dallas. Stacy is his mate, but she isn’t going to allow him to mate with her. She finds herself to be unworthy. I want you to make him so jealous that he takes her.”

Connor agreed. He knew that she loved his brother and knew that he was going through some very rough times trying to figure out what was happening. He knew from Alexis that Stacy wasn’t having a very easy time of it either. He wanted them both to be happy.

Connor sat as far away from the pit as he could after Phil left. He knew he’d only be gone a few minutes, but it seemed an eternity. When he returned, he was smiling. It wasn’t “a great job” or “howdy” kind of smile, but one that said “you’re fucked.”

“You’re in such deep shit right now. Austin wants me to bring you straight to him. I’d be prepared to have my ass kicked if I were you.”

“If he kicks my ass hard enough, I won’t be able to return the favor you asked of me.”

Phil frowned.

“And if Stacy waits much longer, I’m going to sic Dallas on you.”

When they landed—no other way to term what they were doing when flying like they were through the air—Austin was waiting. Phil stepped between the two of them and started to explain. “You should see the pictures that Connor has before you decide to kill him. It might make what we’ve done seem less stupid.”

Austin growled. “I seriously doubt it. But come inside. If I have to kick both your asses, I don’t want anyone to see.”

Connor didn’t think he’d be able to kick them both, but he knew his brother well enough to know that he’d try. CJ came out on the porch just as they stepped up on it. She looked upset. He asked her why and she cried as she told him.

“There was a pack attack this morning. Ten wolves killed and twenty more injured. The council is now in our living room.”

Austin turned to him. “This have anything to do with the wolf in the cell Phil brought back?”

Connor nodded.

“Am I going to get my ass in deep because of it?”

Connor shook his head. “They’ll probably reward you for finding it. I’m sorry, Austin, but there was no other way.”

Austin nodded and they all went inside. The council of five was sitting around the table and their mom was feeding them. It was going to be a long day.

Chapter 4

The all-call was sounded about ten minutes ago and Stacy was not sure if she should go or stay away. She did not feel a part of Austin’s pack, though it was not his fault, but she was not sure what to do. She decided to go, but to stay back in the event she was not needed.

The pack met once a month during the moon phase. She had never missed a meeting, but seldom ran with them. She was afraid someone would attack because she was not like them. Today, she knew that something had happened.

Austin started off by talking about the woman and her children. He told them that she wasn’t safe where she’d been and he was asking that no one told where she was. Stacy knew that most of the pack would rather die than to disappoint him. Then he started talking about where she had come from.

“The alpha from where this woman had been attacked, attacked a smaller pack this morning. He killed more than half the males and took several of their females, some of them small yet. His name is Rich Sterling. If anyone sees a strange alpha on the grounds, contact someone in this house immediately. We will not allow him to do what he has done to another.”

“Should we double the patrols around the grounds?” someone shouted from the back of the crowd. “What of our own families? Should we do something more to keep them out of harm’s way?”

“I don’t think so, but if you would feel safer for them to be put some place, bring them here. I have plenty of room and if we run low on room, we can bunk up some of the others until this is over.” Austin conferred with his brother Connor. “Tighter patrols as well as more of you on a shift will be a good idea. Connor said he’d put up a list to see who wants to help out. I don’t foresee him coming here so fast, but he will come.”

Stacy waited for Austin to announce that she was Sterling’s daughter and tensed every time he spoke. When she felt someone come near her, she thought they were there to take her to the front to be stoned.

“Hi.” Connor stood next to her, but didn’t touch. “I was wondering if you could help me with something. I want to see what you can tell me about Sterling. Do you know if he has any bolt holes, maybe a stash hidden somewhere? Anything you know could help us.”

“I have not been there in many years. He might have something now that I would not be aware of.” She moved forward and sniffed him. “I know that scent. You have been to see him.”

She started to run, but he grabbed her arm. “No. I’ve been to the compound, but I didn’t go near him. And for the record, I think the guy needs to be hung by his nuts and left there to die.” She didn’t move and he let go of her arm. “I have your uncle, Harvey. Do you remember him?”

She nodded. “I thought…I had heard he was dead. That after his family died, he killed himself as well.”

“No, but he’s close. Did you know that Sterling killed his family? Murdered his mate while she was still carrying?” Stacy looked away. “Stacy, we need your help and no one here is going to harm you.”

She decided to ignore the first part and to only answer what she had to of the second. “So the rumors were true. I had heard that my father had—”

“Don’t call him that. He’s not your father. Your sire maybe, but never your father.” He gentled his voice then. “You were saying that Sterling had done something, what was it?”

She nodded, too overwhelmed with gratitude to say more. After a few minutes, she was able to continue. “I had heard that he had wanted my uncle’s mate. And when he found out that she was breeding, he went a little mad. He is said to have raped her and then gave her to anyone who would have her. She died giving birth to a stillborn. My uncle was to bury her with the others.”

“But he didn’t, did he? Where is she? Do you know?”

She nodded.

“Your uncle visits her, I would imagine.”

“He does, or so I heard, until his…I was to say until his death, but… You say you have him? Does he need anything, sir? I have little, but I could give him what I have if it would help to keep him safe.”

“He’s safe and no harm will come to him. Will you see if you can talk to him? It would help us a great deal if we knew what we were going against.”

She did not think it would do any good, but she told him she would try.

“Thank you Stacy. You’ve no idea how much this is going to help.”

She went with him to the prison. They also had cells below ground in the event that a vampire were to come on the property and needed to be secured. Her uncle was in one of these cells. Connor told her it was so that the alpha could not contact him.

He looked so old, her uncle did. He was also very thin. She knew that at one time, he had been a robust man, but now he was a shell of the person she once knew. He looked at her when she and Connor came to the cell door. “Do you know who I am?”

He didn’t answer, but turned back to staring at the floor.

“I am your niece, Stacy O’Brien. My mother was—”

“He killed her too.” She nodded and he continued without looking up. “My Mary too, and our babe. He said that she led him on and she hadn’t. I knew my mate loved me.”

“Yes, she did. She was so proud to be having your cub. She told me that she hoped for a son.” Stacy felt Connor move back and the door was suddenly opened. She stepped in the room. “How have you been, Uncle Harvey?”

“I’d like to know if they could get me something. Do you think someone could bring me something to ease the memories?”

She knew he’d been on drugs; his entire body smelled of them.

“It’d be nice not to remember so much.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Uncle, do you know anything about what happened this morning? When Rich attacked the other pack?” She saw him stiffen.

“He made me go even though I’ve no will to live. I didn’t hurt anyone, hoping that he’d…he has killed so many since my Mary. But he didn’t.” He looked up at her again. “Do you think I could have something to ease my memories, love? They hurt all the time.”

Her heart broke for the man. He was barely there and she wanted to cradle him into her arms. When she moved forward, Connor pulled her back with a shake of his head. “Scent,” he whispered and let her go.

He did not want her to smell like him in case someone recognized it. She nodded and kneeled down to speak to her uncle. The tears in her eyes fell and she barely noticed them. “Are you telling me that Sterling led the attack this morning on those people?” He nodded. “But why? What did they do to him?”

“He wants to have her die by his hand. He won’t allow anyone to leave without him saying its fine. No one ever leaves. Then I must do clean up for them. I have several holes that I’ve had to cover.” He leaned back, took out a small notebook, and handed it out to her. Connor took it. “I had to draw a map so I wouldn’t dig in the same place twice. So many dead.”

She watched Connor thumb through the notebook and felt his anger as he gave it back to her. Then her uncle spoke again and the hair on her arms stood up.

“He’s going to come for you too when he realizes I didn’t kill you when I should have. I couldn’t do it so I took you to another pack. They were to raise you as their own, but they didn’t, did they?”

“I survived. I survived because of you.”

He nodded then closed his eyes. “I would like something for the memories, please. Do you think someone could bring it to me soon?”

~~~

Dallas watched Connor and Stacy walk away together. He couldn’t leave Austin’s side, but he wanted to. He wanted to hunt his brother down and beat the shit out of him. His wolf agreed with him. He looked at Austin when he called the meeting to an end. He was off the platform before Austin could tell him to go.

He found them coming out of the cells. He didn’t even ask, but hit Connor as hard as he could, knocking him back several feet. Connor was up in a second and coming at him. Stacy stepped between them at the last second and he hit her instead.

“Mother fuck, look what you’ve done. Christ, you’ve killed her.” Connor tried to knock him away when he reached for her. “Leave her alone and I’ll take her—”

“Touch her and you’ll die.” He knew his wolf had surfaced; his voice was rougher for it and his eyes had turned. “She’s mine.”

“Then fucking act like it. Claim her or I will.” Connor stomped away and Dallas lifted her into his arms. When she moaned slightly, his heart ached.

Dallas took her back to his home. He put her on his bed and went to get a wet cloth. He’d hit her hard and knew she’d been hurting when she woke. He wiped gently at the blood on her lip and hoped she’d forgive him in the next several lifetimes. When she opened her eyes, he thought he’d be lucky if she gave him until hell froze over before she even spoke to him.

“You hit me.”

He nodded, picked her up in his arms, and took her to the bathroom.

“I am quite capable of walking. Put me down please.”

“I’m running you a tub. Then I’m going to help you bathe. I don’t want you to be angry with me.” She stiffened, but he didn’t stop where he was going. “My sister says a bath can cure any kind of hurts.”

“Then give her one. I wish to leave. Right now.”

He didn’t answer her. When the water was full enough, he turned it off and began to unbutton her blouse.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“You can’t bathe in your clothes. They’ll get wet and you’ll have nothing to put back on.” He grinned. “Not that you’ll need it for a while, but eventually, you need something.”

She slapped at his hands and started to button the thing back up. Dallas let her go so far then he took the two ends and ripped it open. He nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw what she had on under it. Running his fingers over the soft silk, he heard her breath catch. The dark blue fabric barely held her in and her nipples were hard beneath it. He leaned down and took one hard peak into his mouth.

“Dallas, you cannot.”

He lifted her onto the counter and broke the clasp off her bra. Her breasts spilled out and into his hands. When she leaned back on the counter, he feasted on them. Licking one then the other, he couldn’t decide which he wanted more so he lifted them together and took them both. Her fingers lacing in his hair had him groan. When she started to unbutton his own shirt, he told her to rip it and was satisfied when he heard it tear and buttons bounce all over the bathroom.

He pulled her pants off with her panties and shoes and stepped back. Christ, if there was anything more beautiful in the world, he’d like to know what it was. But he couldn’t touch her just yet. “I want you. Right now, I want to take you as mine. But if you don’t want me, now would be the time to say so.” She was panting and her eyes had turned. “Stacy, tell me you want me as much as I do you.”

“Yes,” she hissed at him, and he stepped between her legs and took her mouth. When she whimpered, he licked the sore and felt as if his body snapped into place. His mate. Stacy really was his mate.

“Say it. Tell me you’re mine.” He opened his pants and pulled them off. He stood before her naked and needy. “Say it, Stacy. Tell me what we both know.”

“I’m your mate. I’ve waited for you for so long. But—”

He cut her off by taking her mouth again. As he picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his hips. With every step he took, her pussy rubbed against his cock. If she kept this up, he’d be coming over her and not in her. When he felt the bed touch his shins, he laid them both down and covered her.

“I would like nothing more than to make slow love to you, but I need to claim you. I’ll try and make it good for you, baby, but I’ve needed you for too long. Will you forgive me?”

“Please,” she begged him, and he felt a calmness blanket him. Yes, he thought, he’d please her. She was his mate and deserved it from him. Untangling her legs from his hips, he stood near the bed. He dropped to the floor and pulled her to the edge.

Without a word, he licked her from gate to clit and felt her rise from the bed for more. Taking as much of her as he could, Dallas felt his wolf calm too. He might just make it after all.

Loving her with his mouth, he reached up and pulled on her nipples. When she cried out, he nearly stood and entered her, but if she came first, he’d not hurt her as badly. When he felt her tighten around him, her thighs grip his head, he lifted her hands and put them to her breasts. She began squeezing them and pulling on her nipples as he had.

“Come for me, baby. Flood my mouth with your come.” She arched up off the bed and screamed out her release. Even as he lapped at her, he wanted to bite.
But not yet,
his wolf said.
Fuck her first then mark her.
As she came again, he moved up her body, pulling her with him. He had her in the center of the bed when he fisted his cock at her entrance.

“It will hurt, love. I’m sorry, but it’ll hurt.” She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. He knew that she had to taste herself on his mouth and her moan confirmed it.

“Take me. Mark me, please.” She wrapped her feet around his thighs and lifted her pussy up to his cock. “Please, Dallas, fill me.”

He couldn’t wait any longer. As soon as he entered her sheath, she cried out again, this time he knew from pain. He stilled. As much as he wanted to pound into her, he knew that he’d better pull out and try again. When she moved, he moaned, and when she smiled, he nearly came.