Wolf Slayer (The Order of the Wolf) (7 page)

Chapter Fourteen

The pain was a smoldering fire deep within his chest. For a time, he was only aware of that burning hell, radiating from a central point, his heart beating so slow that he knew he would be dead soon. Hoped he would die anyway, the pain was that bad. But he lingered in life, raging to the point of violence, a vague memory of lashing out, biting something that tasted of sweet nectar, something he wanted to taste again.

His thoughts were muddled, his dreams bizarre. Flashes of her face, the feel of her hands. Something began to ease the burn, soothing like a dousing of cold water, submerging him in calm tranquility where he could float, buoyant and at peace. He thought he was dying finally—that the bliss he entered was a gift from death.

But then he opened his eyes and found darkness. He felt weight across his stomach. As his eyes adjusted, he craned his neck to look down. Aubrey was sprawled there, head on his abs, one arm flung over his body, the other resting along his side, like she had fallen asleep trying to hug him. Or hold on to him.

“Aubrey,” he whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair, loving how thick and silky it was. He did it again, just because.

She stirred to life, pushed herself up, eyes wide as she scrambled to turn on the bedside lamp. “Jay?”

He ran his hand over his chest and winced, a dull ache still there, bandages covering his flesh.

She gripped his hands, her eyes full of tears, making them sparkle like blue sapphires. “How do you feel? Are you in pain?”

Jaylon swallowed, shook his head. “Not much, no.”

She lowered her gaze forcing a few tears to spill. “I’m so sorry.”

Jaylon ran his hand through her hair again, rested his fingers under her chin and nudged her to look at him. She pulled her face back, shook her head, reached up and wiped away some tears.

“Aubrey…”

“If I had known…” She choked on a sob.

He brought his hand to the back of her neck and forced her head to his chest, curling his arms around her as best he could, ignoring the pain the movement caused. He kissed the top of her head. “I’m okay, Aubrey. I don’t know how but I feel pretty good considering I was shot by a Huntress.” He chuckled lightly. He should be dead. “You got any idea how I survived that shot?”

“I’m a Huntress.” Her words were muffled against his chest. “I healed you.”

“You did what?” He released his hold on her and she pushed herself back up, wiping more tears as she did. “You healed me?”

Aubrey nodded. “That’s my gift.”

A healer?
Jaylon frowned. “Did I bite you?”

Aubrey blushed, averted her eyes. “Yes,” she whispered.

He rolled back his memories, vaguely recalling a flash of anger, lashing out, attacking. “That actually happened? I thought I was dreaming.”

She looked at him again, her hand on her cheek. “I punched you.”

“You punched me?” His eyes grew wide. How could he have missed all of this?

She nodded, a small smile creeping across her lips. “Mayhem thought that would be the best way. It made you mad, and so you bit me.” She lifted her arm, showed him a deep bite just beneath her elbow. It was healing but still angry looking, red welts with stitches holding the flesh together.

“Oh, Aubrey.” He pulled her closer, lifted her arm to his lips and kissed her there. “I’m sorry.” It wasn’t supposed to be like that. Not from what he’d witnessed when Raven bit Darcy while fighting those witches. And according to his pack brother, every bite thereafter had healed instantaneously. The bite for his mate was meant to be pleasurable, maybe not always gentle but causing no pain or aftereffects because it was done with love.

Love.

Jay’s heart roared.

She giggled, twisted her arm to place her hand on his cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Without your bite, I wouldn’t have been able to save you, or Dyami.”

He pushed himself up, his heart thudding painfully. “Dy! How is he? Did he survive?”

Aubrey’s bottom lip trembled and more tears fell. “I don’t completely understand how my powers work and they aren’t that strong yet. He’s in a coma, not responding to any kind of stimulus. I try to treat him at least once a day.”

Jealousy rattled through him and he fought it back. “You’ve done your best. He’s alive at least, that’s something. That shot should have killed him.”

The unspoken words hung heavy between them. Her shot. Aubrey had dropped Dy.

She sighed, laid her hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back. “I’d like to give you some more treatment.”

He nodded. Curious to see her gift at work.

“It’s going to make you sleepy.” She gingerly lifted the bandage that covered his wound, pulling the tape as slowly as she could.

“You should just rip it off.”

She chuckled, shrugged, then tore the bandage off.

He yelped, sucked in a deep breath. “Motherfucker!” Looked down at the gaping wound that was still weeping blood. It didn’t look good.

“Your heart was nicked. The poison of Huntress magic was already seeping through your body. It’s been slow but I feel like I’ve gotten most of it out.

“What does it feel like?” He swallowed back some bile, never one to be squeamish about blood…but when it was his own, coming from what should have been a fatal wound, things changed.

She shrugged again as she bridged her fingers over his wound, gently, barely touching his skin. “I can’t explain it. I feel like I’m a part of you, hunting through your body for the poison, knitting flesh back together, taking away the pain. Sometimes it gives me a headache. It always makes me tired.”

She’d been asleep on him when he woke, probably because she’d been healing him while he slept.

“How long have I been unconscious?”

She’d closed her eyes, was frowning slightly. “Two days. We were going to hook you up to an IV drip later tonight.”

Two days of recovery time and he was healed beyond what even made sense. Her power was incredible. She was incredible. His heart surged with pride, with love, with possession.

Her fingers warmed against his skin, a cascading jolt of power entering his wound, making him tingle in a strange way. He understood what she meant—he could feel her inside, poking at the places that hurt, testing the edges of his tolerance, easing the pain a moment after the sting. It made him dizzy with amazement. His heart swelled again. He wanted to say so much, his emotions overflowing.

“When I’m well I’m going to mark you properly,” he said, his voice gruff, coming out harsh. He cringed—he was such an ass.

She cracked her eyes open, smiled shyly. “You bet your ass you will.”

Chapter Fifteen

She’d done what she could for Dyami, visited every day to give him jolt after jolt of her power and yet he lay there still and silent, hooked up to a multitude of machines that beeped and whirred and basically kept him alive. The wound had healed where her arrow had struck but the poison of her Huntress magic was embedded in him so profusely that she doubted months of treatment would rid him of it completely. He should be dead. She wondered if keeping him alive was even humane.

She closed the door to his room, shutting out the whoosh-whoosh of the breathing machine and dampening the guilt she felt when she looked at him. She shouldn’t have taken that shot, but years of conditioning had kicked in when her brain was too stunned to process what was going on. Now Dyami suffered unimaginably for it.

Mayhem and the pack had granted her forgiveness but she wouldn’t feel atoned until she heard it from Dyami’s lips.

Guilt and sorrow rested permanently on her shoulders. Until, that was, she opened the door next to Dyami’s room where Jaylon recovered. Love could vanquish anything. It really could, at least for a while. Jaylon’s love for her, although he never said it, was like the brightest light—so warm, so tender, tethered to her by the unbreakable bond that came with his bite.

He was sitting up in bed, propped on pillows, smiling slyly. “What have you been up to?” she asked as she quietly shut the door behind her.

“Me? Nothing?”

She frowned, put her hands on her hips. “You’re lying.”

Jaylon’s smile grew. He patted the bed. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“How are you feeling?” She moved to the bed, ignoring his request for her to come up as she felt around what was left of his chest wound, now only a faint pink scar. “Any pain tonight?”

She’d been spending a lot of time with his wolf during the day, the magic of his transitions moving him through the cycles from beast to man whether he was conscious or not. In some ways, the wolf was easier to understand. Without language, it just felt and its feelings overwhelmed her at times. Desire, belonging, possession, tenderness, even love.

The man just spoke in circles, never wanting to tell her how he felt, what he thought. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Jaylon patted the bed again. “I’m not answering you until you get up here.”

She snapped her gaze to his, meeting a look of cunning determination, one eyebrow cocked, a smile still on his lips. She sighed in resignation. “Fine.” Then eased herself onto the edge of the mattress, not wanting to jostle him too much.

Once her body was within reach, he yanked her onto his lap with ease. She yelped, and his smile grew wider.

“There you are.” He leaned forward and nuzzled her neck, running his tongue along the column of her sensitive flesh, making her shiver. “I missed you.”

She pulled back, looked at him. He never said anything like that to her. “You feeling okay?” She raised her hand to his forehead. No fever.

He chuckled, pulled her hand away, leaned forward again and kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I know I’m not the best with this relationship stuff.” He reached under his pillow and pulled out a ring box. “I had Mayhem pick this up for me.” With a wink, he opened it.

Aubrey stared, her mouth dropping open slightly. Nestled in the plush box was a ring, the cut making its surface sparkle. It was the head of a wolf, delicately wrought, tiny yellow gems decorating the eyes. It was beautiful.

He pulled it out, turned it on its side to show the engraved band, all Celtic swirls of black designs. He tilted it to show her the inscription on the inside.

My heart is yours.

She gulped back her tears. “It’s gorgeous, Jay,” she croaked.

He pulled it from the box, and motioned for her to lift her left hand. “I may not be great at communicating my feelings with words, but every time you look at this you’ll know that it’s a symbol of my feelings for you. The deepest, truest feelings I possess.” He slid it onto her ring finger. “You are my destiny. You are my life.”

Aubrey touched the finger with her other hand, lifted it to her lips and kissed it, then leaned in and kissed him. “I love you too, Jaylon.”

He ran his hand along her thigh and kissed her again, pulling her closer so that her ass rested against his hard cock. “Mmm, I like the feel of you there.”

She wriggled teasingly and laughed. “I bet you do. But you haven’t yet answered my question. Are you feeling any pain tonight?”

He sighed. “Yeah, yeah I am.”

When she made to pull away, trying to scramble off him, he slipped his hand between her legs and rubbed her, abrading her clit with his fingers against her jeans. “I’m aching to be inside of you, Aubrey.”

She moaned as he latched onto her breast, the cotton of her T-shirt and bra doing nothing to keep the heat of his mouth from penetrating to her skin. And suddenly, she couldn’t get naked fast enough.

Pulling away, she whipped her clothes off in a frenzy, did not hesitate in the slightest when he threw the sheet back and offered his cock for her to sheathe. She was back on his lap within seconds, on her knees straddling him, his cock filling her up so completely that she moaned again. This was bliss.

He gripped her ass and lifted her, helping her find a rhythm as she pumped his cock slowly. He shifted his hands to her breasts, cupping her at first, his thumbs circling her nipples, then rubbing back and forth until they were so hard they were aching. He moved one hand to her back and pushed her forward so he could suck her breast into his mouth, flicking his tongue against her nipple, nipping her before releasing her to do the same on the other side.

It was too much. Her climax mounted as she moved faster, rolling her hips to hit that special spot that felt so damn good. With both hands on her hips, he pumped her harder and harder, moaning along with her. She rolled her head back, her breasts jutting out, her spine arched and found the perfect angle. Two more strokes and her orgasm cascaded over her, squeezing his cock, pulling him along into dizzying release. As she slowed her pace, he pulled her down, bellowing a second orgasm the moment his fangs punctured the skin of her throat. The bond tightened, strengthened in that instant, sending her over the edge as well.

This was what love felt like.

Jaylon was hers forever.

About the Author

Every day is Halloween for author Angela Addams. Enthralled by the paranormal at an early age, Angela spends most of her time thinking up new story ideas that involve supernatural creatures in everyday situations. She believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios.

She is an avid tattoo collector, a total book hoarder and loves anything covered in chocolate…except for bugs.

She lives in Ontario, Canada in an old, creaky house, with her loving husband and children.

To find out more about Angela, visit
www.
angelaaddams.com
.

Don’t forget to follow her on Twitter (
www.twitter.com/angelaaddams
).

And you can catch up with her on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/Author.Angela.Addams

Look for these titles by Angela Addams

Now Available:

The Order of the Wolf

Cursed

Wolf Slayer

Coming Soon:

Wolves’ Bane

Spell Weaver

Her biggest mistake comes with fangs…and a nose for tracking her down.

Cursed

© 2014 Angela Addams

The Order of the Wolf, Book 1

Wherever there’s a lying, cheating scumbag who’s broken a woman’s heart, Vengeance Dealer Darcy Wells is there. So what if she isn’t the most skilled witch around? She’s only using one spell, which leaves the hapless male suffering tormenting lust for one woman. Her.

The beautiful part? This curse comes equipped with a blinding agent, allowing her a clean getaway. Unrequited lust, coming right up! As far as Darcy is concerned, it’s justice served. Her next target: Raven Glock, rock band bassist and drop-dead-gorgeous sex god.

When Raven lays eyes on the luscious Darcy, he gives her what he promises all the starry-eyed groupies who toss their panties at him—one unforgettable night in his bed. Sex with Darcy is so epic that he forgets his cardinal rule: to get her out before morning.

At the crack of sunrise, Darcy serves Raven a face full of cursed ash. But something goes horribly wrong…and she finds herself magically tethered to one pissed-off werewolf.

Worse, breaking the spell could cost her everything…maybe even her life.

Warning:
Sexually explicit language, tattoos, piercings, and giant…um…feet. Wet panties are a given. Author assumes no responsibility for spontaneous ravishment of significant others, pool boys, or local pizza delivery personnel.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Cursed:

The party, it seemed, was in Mayhem’s suite. Penthouse accommodations for the alpha and his bevy of fangirls. Something Raven could definitely appreciate. He liked variety. And being the bassist of one of the hottest rock bands in the country ensured he had a
lot
of variety when it came to women. A different girl every night. Epic sex marathons. Perfect.

“Hey, there’s Raven!” Dave, the band’s manager, gave him a hardy slap on the back and shoved a beer in his face at the same time.

“Thanks, man.” Raven gripped the frosty bottle and took a swig.

“Got a lot of great potential tonight, friend. Hot pussy in abundance. Tons to choose from.”

And choose he could. That was one reality about being a rock-star—the women were plentiful.

Was it meaningless sex? Hell yes, and that was just the way Raven liked it. He made no secret about his intentions—any women he took to bed knew perfectly well what it meant. Some fucking fun with no strings attached. Besides, they had to be out of his bed and out of his sight by daybreak. That was when his wolf came out to play—a fact he wasn’t inclined to share with his latest fling.

Raven scanned the crowd, noting the usual groupies, many of whom he’d had special relations with. That was another one of his rules: no repeats…it only complicated things. One-night stands were the only way to go, so the object of his attention didn’t get the wrong idea. Not that he was a jerk or anything, but sometimes the fans came with a few misplaced notions of what a rock-star was looking for. True love? Yeah, so not interested in that bullshit.

He took another swig of his beer, ready to meander through the rest of the suite when his gaze landed on her.
Her
. Raven was never one for preferences—hair, eye color, whatever, he didn’t discriminate, but
she
came with dark chocolate hair, a pixie cut, sweeping across her face, almost covering one eye as it came to a point at her chin. A hipster, maybe, but with her mocha eyes and full tantalizing lips he didn’t really give a fuck, and neither did his cock. She was watching him right back, an expression of challenge on her face. He swept his gaze down, over her delicious curves, and got hard. Instantly. Yep. She was the one.

He nudged Dave. “Hey, you seen that girl before?”

Before Dave could utter a peep, she was striding toward them, her stare unwavering, locked on him as she swayed her hips. If possible, his dick got harder and she was only walking. He couldn’t help but wonder what else her body could do to him.

“You’re Raven right? The bassist?” Her voice was raspy in a sexy way, made him want to hear her moan his name.

“Yeah, that’s me.” He gave one of his signature smiles, the kind he knew made the fans melt. “And you are?”

“Darcy, sugar.” She returned his smile with a breathtaking one of her own, her little pink tongue darting out to run along her top lip. “I’ve been looking for you.”