Shattered Emotions (21 page)

She looked up at her Alpha, and Maddox held back the urge to move and tug her into his arms.

“I know,” she whispered as Hannah left her side to Heal Maddox.

Maddox shook his head as his brother’s mate Healed his wounds, the magic flowing through him, making him feel warm and sleepy.

“Do you?” Edward said, his voice softer than Maddox had thought possible for his father.

“Yes, through it all, I knew the Jamensons believed in me. It was the others. They never did trust me. I’m a Central.”

Edward growled, his Alpha power filling the room with a quick snap. “No, you are not. You are a Redwood.”

Maddox growled back at his father’s tone, despite the words, but cut off when Ellie gave him a look. Yes, he knew she needed to stand up for herself, but damn, it was hard to sit back and let her be on her own.

“I know,” Ellie said, her voice calm. “I misspoke. I know I’m a Redwood. I love this Pack.”

“Good. You’re a Jamenson now, Ellie dear. That thick-headed son of mine finally figured out what was in front of him this whole time and brought you into our fold. We’re never letting you go now, dear.”

She smiled, and Maddox felt a burst of love and acceptance through their bond.

“We’ve always stood by you, Ellie,” his father continued. “We’ve always told and
shown
the others you were part of us, but you had to go so we could ferret out the traitor and so Corbin would think we’d forced you out. Now, we need to all stand strong and show the Pack that you’re not only one of us but you’re also family. You’re the Omega female, Ellie. You’re Pack.”

She bowed her head, and the rest of the people in the room, even the ex-Talons, did the same.

When the Alpha spoke, his word was law.

There would be no second chances with those in the Pack who had doubted his Ellie.

None.

“So, the bastard that killed Neil and Larissa is dead?” Cailin asked, the anger in her tone beating down on him with each breath.

Maddox met her gaze and nodded. “Yes, he’d dead.”
By my own hands.
He’d have to talk that out with Ellie like so many things he’d done in his past, but that was for another time.

“I know it’s fair to call that man a killer, but it wasn’t all his responsibility,” Ellie cut it.

Maddox held out his hand, and she walked to him, her gaze for only him. He pulled her down on his lap, pressing his nose against the part where her shoulder met her neck, needing to scent her and make sure she was real…that she was okay. He ignored the pointed glances of the others in the room. They’d just have to get used to this new him. After all, he was just getting used to it himself.

“What do you mean by that?” North asked. He moved to stand against the wall, Lexi near him but not touching.

“Corbin was the one who ordered it,” Ellie said. “Caym was the one whose evil incarnation tainted the bonds within their Pack and forced them to do things.”

Maddox pressed her to his chest, feeling her heart speed up as she spoke—either from the subject matter or the fact that her body was so close to his.

“I’m glad you got out when you did,” Hannah said, leaning into Edward’s side.

Maddox’s father was nothing if not fatherly and caring to all his kids—even those mated in.

“And, if anyone thinks that you’ve been tainted by their magic, they just have to look at you and see who you truly are,” North said, causing Maddox to growl softly.

North held up his hands and shook his head. “I meant nothing by it.”

“They’ll have to go through me if they want to hurt her,” Maddox said, his voice still a growl.

Ellie turned in his lap and kissed his lips softly. “We’ll be okay, Maddox. You don’t have to punch everyone who looks at me weird.”

Maddox frowned at that. “They shouldn’t be looking at you weird—or at all for that matter. You’re mine.”

“It’s about time,” his wolf said.

Damn wolf.

“If you’re so worried about people looking at your mate, maybe you should mark her to make it public,” his father said pointedly.

He could feel the heat of Ellie’s pretty blush rush to her skin, and he kissed that fleshy part of her shoulder where he’d mark her later.

“Soon,” he said, leaving it at that. There was no need to let everyone know he was planning on taking her out of the house soon and marking her as his.

Slowly at first, then maybe fast and hard later.

Or, maybe the reverse of that.

His wolf growled, and his cock filled. Ellie froze on his lap, and he held back a groan. Yep, no hiding that from her, but first they had to deal with the one thing they hadn’t talked about…the one thing that he knew that could break them if they let it.

“We found one other thing at the Centrals’,” Maddox said, and Ellie growled. He had put it off because he knew they’d ignore everything else for the little girl—as they should. Also, he had a feeling it wouldn’t be as easy as he’d like to go get her.

Good, he’d rather have her experiencing anger at the situation than see the broken look she’d had when they’d left the Centrals’ den.

“There was a girl…” Ellie began and shook her head.

“Apparently, Hector had a daughter with his second mate that no one knew about,” Maddox put in when it looked like Ellie wouldn’t be speaking.

“Oh, goddess,” Hannah said and reached out to take Ellie’s hand. His mate gripped Hannah’s hand, and Maddox kissed her neck again.

“I won’t go into it all, but we need to get her out of there now,” Maddox said.

“I take it your sister is clear of the taint,” Edward said. A statement, not a question.

“Yes, she’s clear. Neither of us scented or felt it on her. She also wasn’t raised in the den so isn’t in the same realm as the others. We need to save her. She’s only five.” A shudder rippled through Ellie, and Maddox squeezed her tighter.

“Then let’s go get her,” Cailin said as she rolled her shoulders. “We can’t let your little sister stay with that bastard. No offense to you.”

“None taken,” Ellie said. “I would have killed him right then and there if it hadn’t been for that damn wolf coming out of nowhere. Then the bomb…”

“He’ll be waiting for us,” Edward said, his voice oddly calm.

“So?” Maddox said. “We can’t leave that little girl there. She’s family.”

“Yes, I know this, but as Alpha, I can’t order you to go. Nor would it be good to order you to stay.”

Ah, Maddox understood. As Alpha, his dad couldn’t tell them to risk their lives for someone who technically wasn’t Pack. If, however, Maddox left on his own accord, that would be a different matter.

“Cailin, you cannot go,” Edward put in, and Cailin growled, her anger filling the room in a violent fury that set Maddox’s teeth on edge. Ellie too shuddered again.

“What?” Cailin asked, her body shaking.

“You heard me,” Edward said. “I won’t hear another word about it.”

He knew his father was protecting his only daughter, but one day he’d go too far trying to hold her in, and she’d break. He only hoped that someone would be there to pick up the pieces…like maybe this Logan of hers.

“I’m taking Ellie home,” he said. “We need to rest.”

Edward nodded. “Be careful, son.”

They said goodbye to the others, and he tangled his fingers with Ellie’s as they walked toward his home. They hadn’t talked about it, but since she didn’t have more than a small area to live in, it only made sense that she’d stay with him.

They also hadn’t had a chance to talk to the ex-Talons at length. There would be time to talk about everything and what their plans were soon.

Right now, he needed Ellie.

“I just realized you said home back there,” Ellie said as she leaned into him, her body stiff with tension.

“Yes, was that not okay?” He rubbed his thumb along her forefinger, needing to keep touching her.

“Yes, oh, yes. We just hadn’t talked about it, you know?”

He opened his front door and led her into his home. It wasn’t decorated very well and needed a woman’s touch, though he’d left it thinking he’d never have that. Now, he had Ellie here, in a place that could be called her own, as well.

“I’m sorry. I should have realized it before I said it.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly. Her lips were smooth and oh so soft. Goddess, he loved this woman…he just had to say it.

“I know,” Ellie said. “We were scared before, but now… Now I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to forget what happened in the cabin. I only want to move forward. I want to find Charlotte and bring her here, Maddox. She doesn’t have much time. Even if Corbin lets her live, he might not let the evil stay away for long.”

He nodded, understanding. “We will, and we’ll raise her, Ellie. She’ll know what it means to have family. She’ll be safe.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she kissed him hard. His cock pressed against her belly, and he groaned into her mouth.

“I love you, Ellie mine, and I’m never letting you go. I was such a fucking idiot before, but I’m never going back. Just like you said, it’s up to us to look forward, and that’s what I’m going to do.” He framed her face with his hands and kissed her again. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

She gave a wobbly smile and kissed him back. “I love you, Maddox. I love you so freaking much, and I don’t want to wait to mate any longer. I know you’re scared of the bond and what it will do to me, but I can feel the Pack, Maddox. I can feel what they’re feeling, and it’s not too much. I know it’ll be more when our wolves are mated, but I don’t care. Our wolves
need
this.
We
need this. With the two of us, we can do it together and make it even better. I know it.”

Maddox smiled, the tug on his lip from his scar reminding him that life was too short to hide as he had for so long.

“All right.”

Her eyes widened. “That’s it? After all that brooding of yours, you’re ready?”

“I don’t brood.”

She blinked. “Maddox, baby, you’re the epitome of a brooding mate, but I love you anyway.”

He laughed and tugged her closer. “We’re going to find your sister soon, baby, but first I want to make sure we’re fully mated. We don’t have much time and if we go into the enemy’s den again without being fully mated, we might lose something. With the bond we can be stronger and be able to fight harder. We need this. I know it’s not the time, but we need this.”

His wolf growled, sending vibrations along his skin, and Ellie gasped, her eyes darkening. “Yes, please.”

Maddox nipped at her lips. “You never have to beg for me to want you, Ellie mine.” He tugged at her hair, forcing her head back, and he took her lips in a hard, possessive kiss. He would never tire of her taste, her touch, her everything.

Their tongues tangled, and he licked at her mouth, kissing up her neck until he began to nibble. “I’m going to sink my fangs into this pretty skin of yours, baby. All other males will know you’re mine. And when you do the same to me, I’m going show off your mark, letting everyone know I’m just as much yours.”

“Okay, but first, I want to try something.” She gave him a little coy smile that caused his dick to throb.

She slowly knelt before him, letting her nails scratch lightly over his clothes as she did so. She looked up at him, her dark eyes wide and that pretty little tongue licking her lips.

“I want to taste you. You didn’t let me last time.”

He groaned and shook his head, running his hand through her hair. “You don’t need to, baby.”

“I know, but I want to.”

“Hell, I’m the luckiest man in the world right now.”

She smiled and undid his pants, pulling them and his boxers down below his knees. His cock sprang out, and she moved back.

He swallowed hard as she studied his dick, running her fingers tentatively along the length then down to cup his balls. He sucked in a breath and tightened his grip in her hair.

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, that pretty blush filling her cheeks.

He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him, running his thumb along that smooth blush of hers. “Do anything you want, baby. I’m all yours.”

“Yay for me,” she said.

Maddox’s eyes about crossed as she licked the head and seam, stroking as she tightly gripped the base.

“Hell,” he muttered.

She stopped and looked up. “Not good?”

He ran his hand through her hair again. “So fucking good, baby.”

She smiled then swallowed the head of his cock, letting her tongue trace around it as she did so.

Oh, holy goddess.

Ellie’s cheeks hollowed as she swallowed as much of him as she could, rolling his balls in her palm as she stroked him with her other hand.

He held back as best he could, sweat rolling down his back as he forced himself not to thrust into her pretty mouth. She bobbed her head as she took him in and out of her mouth, letting her tongue dance along his cock.

His Ellie looked up at him, and he about blew. Goddess, she was so fucking pretty with her dark eyes and those pretty lips wrapped around his cock. How the hell had he gotten so lucky?

He pulled out, and she frowned.

“I wasn’t finished.”

He pulled her up to a standing position and crushed his mouth to hers. “I know, baby, but I want to come inside that sweet pussy of yours. We have lifetimes for me to come down your throat.”

She ducked her head and blushed even harder. “Who knew you’d talk so dirty.”

He smiled and bit her chin. “I didn’t know I would either. You just bring it out of me. Don’t worry, baby, I’ll teach you to talk dirty too.”

She smiled back. “I’m not afraid of what you and I do together, not anymore. I want to do
everything
, Maddox.”

Images of every position they could do and feeling they could have flooded his mind, and he had to grip his cock hard so he wouldn’t come.

“Hell, Ellie mine. Tell me what you want first.”

She bit her lip and looked to be deep in thought. “Hmm, can you take me from behind? I really, really want to try that.”

He threw his head back and laughed, even as he almost came once again. “Hell yeah, we can do that. I have an idea, baby.”