My Alphas: The Complete Series (28 page)

Cass picked up a clean rifle and pulled the bolt back. It was loaded. She pulled the bullet out and put the rifle to the side before picking up another. It was loaded too.

As Cass removed bullets and sorted through the pile she realized they must have come from the militia raid but neither Edon or Rey had spoken of it.

She felt a flare of indignation. It wasn’t lying exactly but it was landing in the same area.

Like that hidden phone huh?

“No, that’s different,” Cass said aloud, checking another rifle. The werewolves didn’t seem to care about them - most of them were still caked in dried mud and although Cass’ knowledge of guns was limited she knew shotgun shells were useless without a shotgun to put them in.

So was this the way it was going to be? Secrets upon secrets…

Cass ignored her own tiny voice telling her she’d secrets too and just leave them alone. She didn’t know where Rey was right at this very instant but that didn’t mean it was a secret. It didn’t mean he was
lying
.

She counted twenty-three rifles in total plus twenty boxes of assorted ammunition. By the look of it the werewolves had stolen them and dropped them up here. She considered perhaps they were trophies of war but then dismissed that idea. The militia had dumped their ruined gear when they had left and the werewolves hadn’t collected shredded tents and ripped sleeping bags.

Cass picked up a rifle with a sight and looked down it, aiming at the wall.

This would come in handy if a plane flies over again.

It seemed so long ago but it was only a few weeks. The werewolves attacking, being locked in the top room like a princess in a tower, Kale guarding the door. Watching Edon and Rey from the window tear a werewolf apart…

The image of Edon breaking a werewolf’s legs came unbidden into her mind and then slipped away. Edon had… bitten its ear off.

Cass tried to stay with the memory but her mind seemed determined to forget. It had long practiced the skill of forgetting terrible events and moving on, leaving a numb and blurry summary. Already it was down to: we were attacked on the way back from the thrall and my Alphas fought them off.

Cass put the rifle down and without thinking laced her fingers over her stomach. Already there could be a baby in there…

Before this line of thought could go anywhere, Cass heard a powerful howl outside. It echoed through the den and seemed to bounce off the walls of the room, magnifying. It was not piercing nor terrifying but called to her, every cell of her being attuned to it.

Edon.

He was back.

*

Rey had carried Cass back to her bed, priding himself on not waking her, before running out into the territory, working the stiffness from the limbs.

It was before dawn, the night hovering in that curious gray that exists for only a few minutes before the sky turns purple and he was warming up to a full sprint when he heard a howl echoing across the territory.

Edon.

Rey stopped and shifted into human form, knowing Edon was close. Soon he emerged from the trees and Rey felt a twist inside him - like pain but joyful. Although he was prepared to be Alpha alone he was relieved Edon had returned.

Edon shifted and came to a stop in front of Rey. He was leaner, the last few weeks dropping off weight and had healing wounds on his shoulder and arm.

“Are you the one leaving piles of dead Turo werewolves all over my territory?” Rey asked.

“
Your
territory? Since when?”

“We had a vote. Pity you weren’t there,” Rey said, keeping a dead straight face.

“A vote? We’re a democracy now?”

“The Pack Mate has brought in many changes. She might have a-” Rey searched his memory for something foolish humans did - “…application paper you can write on. If you wish to be considered for Alpha again.”

Rey held it together for as long as he could, staring at Edon’s long face before he burst out laughing. He grabbed his friend, hugging him before shaking him so hard his teeth rattled.

“Where have you been?”

Edon brushed a hand over his eyes and for the first time Rey saw how tired he was. He looked like he’d been running all night.

“It’s a long story. I can tell you tomorrow.”

“You’ll tell me about the stolen guns too?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Rey looked at him, seeing the healing scratches on his shoulder and arms were deeper than he first realized.

“How is she?” Edon asked.

“Upset. I think. Not carrying a cub yet.”

“It’ll be another week before we can tell,” Edon said, yawning into his hand.

They stood looking at each other, a thousand unspoken words passing between them.

“She’s in her room.” Rey said before turning away into the trees.

*

Edon ran, away from Rey and toward his mate.

Her scent seemed to be everywhere, clinging to the trees, hiding under every leaf. It didn’t pull him into the madness that was the curse but it was still incredibly strong. His tiredness washed away and he howled again, a joyful call as he approached the den. The sun was creeping up over the horizon and the stone was lit up orange, like it was glowing.

The guards howled and yipped at him as he passed, dancing around on their paws and Edon danced too, turning a full circle and snuffling his nose against them before continuing on.

By the time he reached the front entrance of the den, sleepy werewolves were pouring out of it, yawning but happy, calling out to him and barking.

Just being amongst them filled him with a cool relief. It was as though something inside him was twisted and had returned to its original position.

He shifted and then laughed as Nia licked him across the face.

“Okay, okay, let the Alpha through,” called out Vara, shoving wolves out of the way.

Edon ran forward, pausing to touch her shoulder before entering the den. Inside was no easier to get through - the entire pack seemed to be in the room, jumping around like they were in the crowd at a rock concert.

In here Cass’ scent was even stronger, mixed with cooking meat, cool stone and the mingled scent of his pack.

He was out the far door in moments, hearing footsteps padding on the stone floor coming toward him. Edon saw her an instant before they collided and he wrapped his arms around her. Hair mussed from sleeping, wearing a thin top that did little to hide her curves.

He kissed her, hungry for her lips, her mouth, the heat of her body. Cass melted against him, her soft breasts pressing up against him, her hands touching his back. All the aches and pains of fighting and running vanished, washed away under the pleasure of her touch.

She moaned as his teeth scraped her neck and he felt her hand stray down to his waist, brushing against his cock. The total desire to absorb her, to be inside her, to take her and hold her close flared up inside him.

This wasn’t the curse, that mindless black of wild animal passion. He was present, could hear every moan, feel every touch of her fingers on his skin. She was his mate and with her he found peace.

He picked her up, tiny in his arms and carried her to her room, pushing aside the pelt that covered the door. Edon put her down only long enough to pull her clothes off and then he grabbed her again, the brief moment of disconnection too much to bear.

He felt like he’d come down that hill again to see the girl who’d haunted his mind since he was a teenager. To be close to her was to have a part of his soul return.

Cass moaned in his ear as they fell on to the bed.

She parted her legs and he sank into the burning center of her.

*

Guns, howl, door, running, Edon, Edon, Edon…

Cass kissed him as hungrily as he kissed her, feeling herself cling to his body, wanting his touch, needing it more than she’d ever needed anything before.

She felt Edon lift her off the ground, felt his strong arms around her and relaxed into him as he carried her to the bedroom. She was on her feet a moment later and then naked, the Alpha stripping her off, fire in his eyes.

Cass felt herself throbbing between her legs, her body readying itself for the Alpha. They toppled backward and then Edon was inside her.

It had been two weeks since she’d slept with either Alpha and even the memories before that of the thrall were a sleep-deprived blur of pleasure and pain.

Now Edon was inside her, his body over her, one arm resting on the bed, the other under the small of her back, pulling her hips up. He thrust into her and she moaned at the size of him, feeling herself stretch around him, feeling the sheer weight of the Alpha above her.

“My Alpha,” she moaned and then he kissed her.

A moment of pause, holding himself still, their bodies connected, their hearts beating in time. The waves of hot pleasure from inside her seemed to pause and then Edon broke their kiss. Cass opened her eyes to see Edon looking at her, his pupils dilated, dark orbs that pulled at her, whispering to jump jump off the high place down into the cool water.

She answered without words for there were no words to encompass giving yourself to another.

yes

Edon moved and she felt his cock and her body returned, insistent in its demands. More Edon, more fucking, more please, right now.

He pulled up with his hand under her and her hips tilted as he plunged into her again and again. Soon, Cass was breathless, gasping between movements, her body under his control. She felt the hot edge of pleasure clenching inside her, pulling and she moaned under him but he didn’t stop. The pleasure intensified, into a type of pain that she didn’t want to stop and then kept building. Cass couldn’t help herself jolting her hips, wanting more, wanting him to stop, wanting him to keep going forever.

She heard Edon’s breath quickening and she grabbed at him, urging him on, her own voice escaping her, moans becoming screams, unable to hold herself back. Edon sped up, pounding into her and then another clench came inside her as Edon roared and she felt him come.

Cass bucked her hips against him, the muscles inside her squeezing involuntarily and she heard Edon groan in pleasure. He thrust into her a few more times and Cass gasped with each movement as they slowly wound down.

There was a gap of warm pleasure, of Edon relaxing against her, of him moving off to the side and she rolling over to face him. She’d only just woken up but she felt the heavy call of sleep pressing down on her. She reached out and stroked his face, seeing the wounds crisscrossing his shoulder and arm for the first time.

“I love you,” Edon whispered, his eyes almost closed.

“I love you too,” Cass whispered back but he was already asleep and soon so was she.

*

Cass awoke a few hours later with her stomach grumbling and her bladder giving her some quite insistent commands. Edon was still asleep facing her. As she looked him over she saw the slight thinness to his face. He was still a wall of muscle but he’d lost weight since she’d seen him last.

Cass could have stayed there all day watching him sleep but her body’s demands couldn’t be ignored. She slipped out of bed and found some clothes before padding out the door.

Down in the main den there were piles of sleeping werewolves and some awake, drowsily cooking meat or sitting around chatting. Nia was by the fire, eating meat with her fingers. She dropped it as soon she saw Cass and rushed over, grabbing her in a hug.

“EDON IS-” she began to yell at the top of her voice before Cass clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Shh!”

She removed her hand, seeing some of the werewolves stir and looked over at them.

“The Alpha is back and-”

Nia sniffed and Cass knew what was coming next but couldn’t stop it.

“-
you
have mated with him already! You have his seed inside you!”

“Shh, come outside!” Cass hissed, pushing past her, feeling like she would die of embarrassment at any moment. Bad enough that werewolves could smell arousal so she couldn’t even fantasize about her Alphas without them knowing about it but this whole “seed inside you” business was far worse.

Nia followed her out the door, unable to contain her joy and once they were outside she started talking in an endless chatter as Cass found a tree to pee behind.

“…and he is back which means we have two Alphas now and ha! Some other pack can try to attack and your cubs will have two fathers and that will be good because-”

Cass tried to block her out and focus on what she was doing. Soon she was done and despite her stomach rumbling she decided she had to wash herself before going back into the den. The last thing she needed was every single werewolf sniffing and then grinning at her like an idiot.

“Nia, can you get the cabin key for me? It’s inside,” Cass said, interrupting a train of thought about how many cubs Cass might end up having.

“Oh, not the cabin,” Nia groaned but went inside anyway, soon returning with the key.

They walked off into the forest, Nia chatting away about all things and Cass giving her two word answers in reply. Her enthusiasm about Edon’s return was infectious and Cass could feel the happiness of it but there was something else holding her back from jumping for joy. They reached the border of the clearing and Nia shifted, turning into a wolf and settling down on the grass. Cass continued on, hearing birds chirping and the mid-morning wind rustling the leaves now Nia had stopped talking.