Table of Contents

Title Page

Wolf’s Wild Woman

Copyright

Thank You!

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

About the Author

Wolf’s Wild Woman

James Pack

By Lacey Thorn

Wolf’s Wild Woman

by

Lacey Thorn

Rebel…

I needed a safe place to lay low for the night. Instead, I met him, and all thoughts of leaving this town behind flew out the window. He gave me a safe place. In his arms. In his bed. In his heart.

Taylor…

As soon as I caught her scent, I knew she was mine. Then she approached me and willingly touched me. No fear for the behemoth with the scarred face and broken vocal chords. In that moment, I knew she was mine. I knew I was never letting her go.

Copyright

© 2020, Lacey Thorn

Wolf’s Wild Woman

Cover Art by Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

Formatting by Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

Edited by Michele Paulin

Electronic Format ISBN: 978-1-949795-51-6

Published by: Lacey Thorn Publishing

Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

Thank You!

Thank you for your purchase of Wolf’s Wild Woman.

I hope you enjoy the story and will consider leaving a review or telling a friend about the book.

I love hearing from readers! To keep in touch and follow my news, please visit me on my website at www.laceythorn.com.

Dedication

For all my fellow wild women, keep being you!

Chapter One

~ Rebel ~

I nearly lost my mind when I pulled up to the house and saw the truck in the drive. She knew our house was off limits. She fucking knew! Then again Donna Cameron, my mother, had been heading in this direction since we’d lost our alpha two years ago. With Rowen’s death and the subsequent loss of so many of our pack, we’d been floundering. Ripe pickings for certain elements. A smorgasbord of trouble for someone like my mother. A woman who lived and breathed for only one thing. Sex.

Still, she’d been keeping her activities away from home. Especially when she was with the owner of the truck in our drive, Jarod Makers. His son, Benji, had been chasing me since I’d turned eighteen and become legal in his eyes. He and his buddies didn’t see any reason why I shouldn’t take on the family trade and whore for them the way my mother did for their fathers. I avoided them at all costs. I wouldn’t put it past their group mentality to force the issue if they caught me alone. I couldn’t expect a lot from my mother, but I thought she’d understood my need to avoid that.

My life wasn’t easy growing up with her. Whatever wolf had sired me must have moved on quickly. It was a common theme in my mother’s life. I remember inadvertently calling one of her bedmates dad when I was younger. They’d both laughed before my mother slapped me upside the head and told me to get to my room and be quiet.

Things with her had remained that way, with strange men wandering in and out of her bedroom and our home. Until I hit my teens and starting growing breasts and curves of my own. Once eyes had started slipping toward me, Mom had taken her lovers elsewhere.

What I hadn’t known then was she hadn’t made that choice willingly. Our alpha, Rowan Byrd, had overheard some guys talking and set down the law for my mother. Whatever he’d said had worked like magic. I’d been left mostly on my own and had loved every minute of it. Then Rowan had died. Slowly but surely, she’d slipped back into her old patterns. Apparently, his threats were meaningless now that he was no longer here to enforce them.

I blew out a breath as I tapped my fingers on the handlebars of my bike. I’d already cut the engine, but the impulse to kick start it and drive away was strong. Problem was, I had stuff inside I needed. Stuff like the money I’d stockpiled so I could find my own place and move out. I’d managed to hide away quite a bit. And I needed it. That money was my ticket out. Our pack was barely limping along, and our elders were wooing the James Pack, hoping they’d take us in. It made me nervous as hell. I’d heard the rumors about them. The brutality. The take-no-prisoners mentality. A wolf pack of all alphas. If that didn’t scare you a little bit, then you were just plain stupid. I was a lot of things. Stupid wasn’t one of them.

“Fuck this,” I muttered under my breath and swung my leg over the bike. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

I moved slow and easy, opening my senses to try to get a bead on who she’d brought home with her. The house was quiet though, making me hope they’d done whatever booze, sex, and drugs they were going to then had passed the hell out. The one thing you could always count on from Donna Cameron was that she knew how to have a good time. The more the merrier. What she and the deviant ilk she hung around with couldn’t seem to understand was that I was nothing like her.

Surprisingly enough, I was still a virgin at twenty-three. Not that I hadn’t tried my hand at the art of seduction. I mean I did grow up watching a pro operate. My mistake was trying to seduce the alpha. I’d had quite the crush on Rowan Byrd. After all, he was the stuff that fueled little girl’s dreams of happily-ever-after. He was big, strong, and stepped in to play my hero when I most needed one. How could I not think I was in love with him? Rowan had been smart, though. Hello, he’d been the alpha. He’d quietly set me down and told me I was worth more than a quick roll with a man who didn’t love me. Even more, he’d made me believe it. He’d been the best alpha, which was most likely why it had nearly destroyed our pack when we’d lost him. In some ways it had.

I eased the screen door open and slipped quietly into the kitchen. No need to turn on a light. My mother and I had lived in the same house all my life. I knew every inch of it. Trying to remain as stealthy as I could, I hastened down the hallway, making a beeline for my room. I’d grab my bag, get my money out of my hiding spot, and be gone before sunrise. Hell, I seriously doubted many would even note my absence. I’d become too good at clinging to the shadows.

Once in my room, I moved quickly, gathering everything I needed and tossing it in my bag. Once I had everything else, I dropped to my knees and half crawled under the bed to grasp the loose board where I’d hidden my money. My fingers just brushed the seam when I felt rough hands gripping my hips and jerking me back. Stars exploded behind my eyes as my head banged against the frame.

“Now, that’s an ass I’d like to fuck.”

Fuck! How had I not picked up on Benji being here? The quiet must have lulled me into a false sense of security. That and my desire to get in and out as quickly as possible. I smelled the alcohol fumes wafting from him even though I was still partway under the bed. His grip was hard but clumsy. He pressed his weight down on me, grinding his hips against my ass in a lewd act that had vomit climbing up the back of my throat. Fuck, no! This wasn’t happening. I had to get out from under this bed so I had a fighting chance.

I bucked, snarling and clawing at him, as I tried to slither my way out from under him and the bed.

“Oh, yeah, baby. I like to play rough.”

I reached back and raked my nails down what I could reach. Fortunately for me, it was his face. His grip loosened just a bit, and I managed to push back so my head was free of the bedframe. He regained his senses far too quickly.

He wrapped his fist in my braid and slammed my head against the floor. There went those stars again. The side of my T-shirt shredded under his claws, and his bruising touch clamped down on my ribcage. Bastard. I bucked again, forcing my way onto my hands and knees, which made him groan. I knew what he was envisioning. Not. Going. To. Happen.

Just as he went to move into place behind me again, I twisted my body, rolling and lifting my legs high. I kicked with all my might, catching him by surprise and sending him flying across the room. There was a loud crack as his head connected with the corner of my dresser. I sat stunned as he slid down to lie unmoving on the floor. A large rend split the edge of the wood where he’d connected, and it fell at a slant.

Was he dead? Had I killed him? My body shook, and though my head urged me to move closer and check, my muscles refused to cooperate. That was when I noticed the trickle of blood running down his face. What would the elders do to me if I’d killed Benji? What would the James Pack do if it were left in their hands? What if I got to them first and told my side? I’d heard they were ruthless but just. It might be the only shot I had.

“What have you done?”

My mother’s screech from the door broke my momentary paralysis. I scrambled away from Benji, my body already feeling the aftereffects of the earlier scuffle. I glanced toward the mirror as I came to my feet. One of my eyes was blackening up nicely. I didn’t remember taking a hit there, but it could have happened when he’d slammed my face into the floor. My shirt hung on me, and I saw the beginning of more bruises along my side where he’d caught me. I quickly stripped off the remnants of garment and jerked on another shirt.

“What have you done?” my mother asked again as she practically flew across the room toward Benji. “Benji? Benji, honey, are you okay?”

“Where’s the blood coming from? What did you do, Rebbie?”

I ignored her as I moved to the other side of the bed and once again slid under to get the money I needed to get the hell away from here—from her and men like Benji, who would never allow me to be anything other than my mother’s daughter. I quickly jerked the board aside and stuck my hand in, patting every inch and coming up empty.

“No!” The whimper left my lip without my consent as I felt desperately around the hole again. Where was my money? There was no way it was gone. No way. Every fucking dime was gone. I moved the bed, fueled by desperation and fear.

“Where is it?” What was a roar in my head, was a choked whisper leaving my lips.

My mother ignored me, still focused on Benji and trying to staunch the flow of blood. It broke something inside me to see her fawn over a man who’d tried to rape me while she’d brushed off every injury I’d ever had as a child.

“Mom.” When she didn’t respond I walked over and nudged her with my foot. “Where is it?”

“You have to leave,” she replied, hands still softly petting over Benji’s head. “You need to go now.”

“What did you do with my money?” I demanded, my voice firmer even as my eyes watered.

She glanced back at me, and for a minute, I thought I saw remorse in her gaze before she hardened it. “I took it.”

Fear had my heart pounding hard against my ribcage. That money was my ticket out. Without it, I’d be stuck in this town. I couldn’t be here. Not anymore. I’d never be safe in this pack again.

“No.” I shook my head back and forth frantically. “No.”

“I took it,” she repeated, the words as damaging as a knife’s wicked blade. Only they somehow managed to cut deeper. The look on my face seemed to give my mother the impetus she needed to truly face me. “Did you think I didn’t know about the money you hid away? Hidden in a spot where anyone could find it! I knew you were planning something stupid with that money, so I took it.”

“That was my money!” I screamed.

“Lower your voice before you wake everyone. Trust me when I say you won’t like that outcome,” she hissed softly as if she really were concerned. “Take your stuff and get out. I’ve given you all I can.”

“You’ve given me nothing,” I hissed back at her.

“You’ve always been an ungrateful little bitch. I gave you life. Provided you with a home, food, clothes. Let you run wild all over this town, doing as you please. And what do I get in return? A judgmental daughter who thinks she’s better than me.”

“Not wanting the life you’ve chosen doesn’t mean I think I’m better,” I tried to explain, but my mother wasn’t having it.

“You think I don’t know you sent the alpha here all those years ago. Did you think he’d pick you for his? Rowan Byrd was never your mate. He might have let you spread your thighs for him, but you never would have been anything more than his whore.”

“Don’t you speak about Rowan that way,” I growled.

“A whore, Rebel. Just like your mother.” Her words were harsh and cruel.

I slapped her. Hard. The impact ricocheted up my arm to settle in my shoulder. She didn’t retaliate. She simply stood there, and I swore her gaze filled with sadness. Why would she be sad, though?

“I’ll never be like you,” I told her for what felt like the hundredth time.

“You might not have a choice anymore,” she warned, throwing a glance back at Benji. “He won’t let this go.”

She must have seen the question in my gaze because she shook her head.

“You didn’t kill him.” She scowled at me. “Why couldn’t you just do as he asked? He’s an experienced man, Rebbie. He could take really good care of you if you let him.”

“He planned to rape me, Mother. There’s no pleasure in that.”

“You should have been willing!” she cried out. “Who do you think you’re saving yourself for? You won’t be safe anywhere, now. He’ll hunt you down, and there won’t be a thing I can do to stop him. I don’t think there’s a safe place in this entire world for you.”

I shook my head even as she continued to speak. A low roar filled my ears, drowning out the rest of her words. Rowan would have protected me. He’d have taken care of Benji and his buddies the first time they made me uncomfortable. I missed our alpha. Not because I once saw him as a potential lover or mate, but because he was the closest thing to a father figure I’d ever had. He’d protected me. Sheltered me. And I liked to believe some part of him had loved me. Not sexually. Contrary to what my mother seemed to believe, sex didn’t equate to love. I craved a love my mother would never understand. Hell, maybe, one she’d never known. I’d settle for nothing less.

Benji groaned on the floor, and I knew I needed to leave before he came around. I grabbed my bag and turned for the door.

“Hurry! Rumor has it Rowan’s sister is at that wolf bar tonight. Apparently, the alpha of the James Pack and some of his wolves will be putting in an appearance. I think her father promised Raina as a mate. Maybe, she’ll help you,” my mother whispered as she headed toward Benji again. “I can’t. Don’t ever come back here, Rebbie. Never.”

I practically ran back to my bike. It took me three times before I could get it started. I wasn’t sure how I felt about asking Raina for help. Ivy would most likely be with her. Ivy’s mother had once been a pack whore the same as my mother, and I didn’t want to bring my trouble to her door. I bet she had enough as it was, what with her taking care of her baby sister. But the James Pack. Maybe, their alpha would listen to me. If not, I’d go. I’d find somewhere safe. Somewhere to stay hidden for as long as I needed. The rest of my life, if necessary.

“I’m not afraid of them,” I whispered aloud, but I wasn’t sure if I was talking about Benji and his friends or the James Pack.

Chapter Two

~Taylor~

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath as I took in the chaos around me. I’d known shit would be bad when those fucking elders from the Rigton wolves came sniffing around our alpha Bastion James. We’d gotten quite the reputation since our pack had formed. We were a group of misfits and bastards joining together to create one pack. The James Pack.

Somehow, Bastion had fallen hook, line, and sinker for the offer put to him by the Rigtons. So much so, we were out in force tonight at a bar, so Bastion could lay claim to his apparently unwilling mate. Why she’d try to run from Bas is beyond me, but what do I know? Women tended to shy away from me. If my size didn’t scare them, my scars or voice usually did. I’d grown facial hair in a sad attempt to hide the scars that covered the lower part of my face and neck. And my voice? Well, if there was anything I could do to change the deep, guttural pitch that made it sound like I gargled razor blades, I would. But that’s what happens when some of your vocal chords get damaged.

Tonight, I’d watched two of my fellow alpha pack members lose their fucking minds…over women. God save us all. First, I witnessed Cyan stalk across the parking lot with one of the tiniest women I’d ever seen over his shoulder. Then a short time later, I growled to make people turn their backs as Bas’ mate ran across, stripping and shifting with Bas in pursuit. And it wasn’t even a full fucking moon.

“Hey, Taylor. Got a minute?” Simon, another of our pack, asked as he approached me.

“What’s up?”

“Cyan’s dealing with some troublemakers. He wants them corralled for the night,” Simon told me. Cyan was our alpha’s right hand. And I was Cyan’s, making me third in command.

“Let’s go.” I snapped my fingers, and a few others fell into step behind us. This was one place where my intimidating size came in handy. Few wanted to go toe-to-toe with me.

It was then, I noticed the scent in the air. Soft and subtle with a punch like a Mack truck to my balls. My dick threatened my zipper, and I quickly untucked my shirt to try to discreetly cover my reaction.

“Then you have me at a disadvantage.”

I heard Cyan’s voice and followed it past him to the woman standing in front of him. One word roared through my soul and almost had me surging forward. Mate. I didn’t know who she was. I just knew she owned me, heart and soul.

“Cy, you good?” Fuck! Why did my voice have to sound like a rusted blade?

“We’re good.” He tried to wave me off, but I ignored him, my gaze centered on her as Cyan continued talking. “What’s your name?”

“Rebel, but most people call me Rebbie.”

Rebel. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. She had a thick mane of dark hair, braided and hanging down her back. She was small, petite, which was more noticeable when compared to a man of my size. Didn’t matter. She was mine. My mate. One I was completely unworthy of. One I planned to claim fully before the night ended.

“Who did this to you?” Cyan’s words snapped me from my thoughts and had me ready to step forward and displace his hand from my mate’s face. Simon must have been feeling ballsy, though. He put his arm out to stop me, and when I glanced his way, he shook his head.

“Don’t spook her,” he warned.

“It doesn’t matter,” my Rebel answered Cyan. “Is Ivy really your mate?”

Cyan nodded at her.

Ivy must be the woman who’d been draped over Cyan’s shoulder when he’d left the bar earlier.

“Good,” Rebel continued. “Ivy deserves something good in her life. She deserves…happiness. It’s been hell since Rowan died.”

What was my mate’s connection to the former alpha of the Rigton pack? And who’d made her life hell since his death? She might be using the other woman’s name, but all of us standing here knew she was talking about herself, as well.

I edged my way closer. Not wanting to frighten her and spook her away from Cyan, but I couldn’t stop from moving closer toward her.

That was when I glimpsed her face…and saw red.

Someone had clocked her in the eye. Beautiful, light blue eyes. Haunting eyes. One side of her face was bruised and swollen. I wanted to hunt down the person who’d inflicted the harm and rip them apart with my bare hands. And the way she gingerly cradled her side had me ready to kill. Who the fuck thought it was okay to hit a woman?

“It’s not easy being the daughter of a pack whore.”

Her words stunned me. The Rigton pack subjected some of their females to whoring? What the hell?

Cyan voiced my question, but Rebel’s laugh cut him off.

“There was no coercion. Rowan never would have let that go on. It’s hard to corral a bitch in heat, who enjoys spreading her thighs for anyone.”

Her words were filled with contempt…and hurt. What had she lived through? Especially now that her alpha was no longer around?

“What about you?” Cyan’s words rocked my world. Was he asking my mate if she was a fucking whore? Was he—

“Me?”

Her softly spoken question grabbed my full attention. God, she looked so young. So innocent. So undeserving of a bastard like me for a mate.

“Rowan made sure I was safe.”

And he was gone. What had she endured since his death?

“I can tell you where Ivy lives. I just… I need… I…”

Anything she needed, I’d be the man to provide.

“What is it, Rebbie?” Cyan asked.

“I don’t want to go home.”

“Did your mom do this to you?”

I knew the answer before Cyan finished the question. If her mother wasn’t responsible of the act itself, then she was complicit in it by not protecting Rebel from it happening. There were few betrayals that compared to those of a parent. Those were the people who were supposed to love and protect you. I knew the pain of such a betrayal. I bore scars from my own mother.

“Taylor,” Cyan called, and I immediately stepped forward. I braced myself for Rebel’s reaction to me.

“Taylor won’t hurt you,” Cyan reassured her, but she wasn’t looking at me with fear. There was no disgust. She nodded at his words but kept her gaze locked to mine. It definitely held curiosity and maybe, a spark of something else. Lust?

“Rebbie needs a safe place for a few days, until we can find more permanent arrangements.”

“Done,” I rasped. I already had permanent arrangements in mind. Cyan walked away but my gaze remained riveted to Rebel. I wanted to touch her. To cup her face and run my fingertips over the bruises, to somehow brush them away. Before I killed the motherfucker who’d put them there.

“Why are you angry?” Her voice was a low whisper. Then she did the most curious thing. She reached up and skimmed her fingers along my jawline, tickling across the raised scars my beard shielded.

“Am I?” I couldn’t help my gruff tone. And yes, I was mad. Enraged that anyone had lifted a finger to hurt her. “Who did this to you?”

“Who did this to you?” She countered by repeating my demand back to me. Though many had wondered how I received my scars, they seldom had the balls to ask me. “Who put those shadows in your eyes?”

Her words caught me by surprise. I’d been sure she’d ask about my face. My eyes?

“There aren’t any shadows in my eyes.”

“Those are where they’re the deepest,” she informed me, brushing her fingers under my eyes.

I pulled her closer, only pausing when she hissed out a breath, pushing her hand between mine and her side. She tried to pull back, to pull away, but I wouldn’t let her. Instead, I dropped to my knees and tugged at her shirt.

“Show me,” I commanded through gritted teeth, dropping my hands to cup her hips. It was the only thing preventing me from lifting her shirt on my own.

“I…” She trailed off at the sharp shake of my head. I wouldn’t be denied. And once she showed me, once I had the name of the person who’d hurt her, blood would be shed. And I didn’t give a fuck if the person bleeding was her mother.

“Show me,” I repeated, my palms holding her in place while I waited.

She peeked around to make sure no one else was watching. As if any of them would with the pure alpha male vibes I was putting off. She rubbed her fingers together in front of her then dropped her palms to cover my hands then immediately lifted them again as if my skin had burned her. But her gaze never left mine. Finally, she gripped the hem of her shirt and jerked it up angrily.

A growl rumbled up from my chest as her skin was revealed. Bruised. Scraped. There were fucking fingerprints marking her skin, and when I found the fucker who’d put them there, it would take a miracle for me not to kill them.

“Taylor?”

I heard the tremor in her voice, the uncertainty, but I couldn’t stop. I leaned in and brushed my lips over her abused flesh. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. My tongue traced a scrape, and the taste of her exploded in my mouth. I had to gain control and stop before things went too far. My dick was already pounding against my zipper. Not here. Not now. Not where any of the males around might see her. But definitely soon. When I had her alone.

I glanced up and seized her gaze with mine. “Who did this to you?” I spoke as softly as I could, though there was no softening my damaged vocal chords. “Who, Rebel?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She shrugged as if she believed her own words. Who’d taught her that she didn’t matter? That her safety didn’t matter?

“Who, Rebel?” I pulled her shirt back down then stood. Yes, I planned to use my size to intimidate her into giving me answers. She merely patted my chest as if seeking to calm me.

“It doesn’t matter. It won’t happen again. Besides it’s nothing a good run in my wolf skin won’t heal. Now.” She ran her fingers up my abdomen, stopping to rest her palm on my chest. “Do you know a safe place I can stay tonight? If you give me the address, I can get myself there.”

“No,” I said with a shake of my head. Did she think that little finger walk would make me more agreeable? Hell, no. She was my woman. Heads would fucking roll tonight. By the time I was done, she’d know her worth, as would every other motherfucker who’d ever doubted it.

“You don’t know one?” She exhaled sharply, and I swore I glimpsed fear in her eyes. “Then I won’t waste any more of your time.”

I caught her before she could turn away. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To find somewhere to sleep tonight. I knew I was taking a chance coming here and asking your pack for help.” She shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t take you someplace safe to spend the night. You’ll go with me. We’ll need to make a few stops on the way.”

“What stops?” she demanded.

“I have some assholes to deal with. I’m betting the three Cyan already dealt with were only the beginning.” I let my gaze slowly caress her. “I know there’s more, and I’m sure you know who they are.”

She did that shoulder shrug again, and it took all I had not to lean down and nip her with my teeth. I wanted to taste her that badly, and her unwillingness to heed my orders made me want her even more. Damn. I had it bad for my little mate.

“Rebel.”

“I might know a few troublemakers,” she conceded.

“I’ll need to know where to find all of them. We don’t tolerate that kind of bullshit in the James Pack. Now that the Rigtons are officially becoming part of us, we’ll handle things.”

“I’ll help you all I can tonight.”

The way she said it made me think she didn’t expect to be around after tonight. She had another think coming if she thought I’d let her walk away. There was no way she didn’t feel the pull between us. Not when it was so strong it was a struggle just to keep my hands off her.

“Perfect,” I told her. “I already know where our first stop will be. Just need you to give me directions.”

She did that shrug thing again. “Okay. My bike’s over there.” She pointed toward the shadowy edge of the parking lot, almost behind the bar.

“Leave it. We’ll take my SUV then head back for your bike later.” A lie and I hated to start our relationship that way. When we wrapped up what I needed to do for the pack, we were headed back to my place. Once there, I hoped to spend the rest of the night with my little Rebel wrapped around me.

She gave me a calculating look as if she sensed my dishonesty. Then shrugged. What was it about her and shrugging? I couldn’t help wondering what that shoulder roll would feel like when she was beneath me, legs locked around my waist.

“I’m parked over here.”

I guided her toward my vehicle then waited until we were on our way before I told her where we were headed.

“First stop.” I briefly glanced her way as I pulled out of the parking lot. “Your house.”

Chapter Three

~Rebel~

“We don’t need to go to my house.” Hell, no. Not when my mother’s parting words had been to never return. I threw another glance toward Taylor. He was big. The biggest man I’d seen by far. But he was still only one man. Benji could have his whole group there by now. That would be four against one. Unless Benji’s dad and some of his cronies were there. Taylor couldn’t take them all on.

“Yes, we do,” Taylor countered. He reached across and cupped my face, running his thumb over my skin.

“I’m fine,” I informed him sharply.

“I’m not.”

That harsh tone sent shivers down my spine, but I did my best to keep him from noticing. I wanted him, and that surprised me. He had my wolf panting for things we’d never had. I was way out of my element and felt more alive than I had in a long time.

He pulled over to the side of the road and turned to me. “We’re going to your home, Rebel, and I’m going to deal with the person responsible for those marks on your face and body. They’re going to pay for their actions. Do you know why?”

“Because the James Pack won’t tolerate it.” My words were soft in contrast to his guttural growl.

“Because you’re mine,” he snapped, fisting his hands as if he were fighting for control.

“You think I’m a whore!” I was appalled. And hurt. Deeply. I wasn’t sure why it mattered so much to me what this man thought. I only knew it did.

His growl filled the vehicle. “Don’t you ever use that word when talking about yourself,” he ordered. “My woman is no whore.”

His woman? What did Taylor mean by that, if not that he wanted me in his bed?

“You’re woman?” I questioned.

“My mate.”

I gasped with surprise. He was staking a claim, proclaiming himself my mate. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that; other than, I wanted him. Too much to put him in danger for my earlier actions. Why couldn’t I have met him before the incident with Benji? My emotions were all over the place. I desperately needed to clear my head with a good, hard run. I needed distance right now. From my emotions, from my life. I let my gaze meet Taylor’s. From him.

Taylor…overwhelmed me. He was raw and powerful and so sexy he made me ache. I still wanted to know how he’d gotten those scars on his face and neck. They went far deeper than the surface. The surface scars were nothing. His facial hair covered them and managed to give him a sexy, badass appearance. But the emotional ones? Yeah. I knew firsthand how those blows could stay inside your head and torture you for years.

“I don’t… I can’t… I’m not…”

“You are, but I’ll give you some time to wrap your head around it. For now, I want your address. The James Pack has a no tolerance policy on abusing women. We take it very seriously. I know you saw how Cyan handled the three members of your former pack in the parking lot at the bar.”

I nodded. “Austin Mickel and the Dempsey brothers are troublemakers. Their actions toward Ivy… They deserved what they got.”

“What about you? Don’t you deserve to have someone defend you, Rebel?”

My glance flew to Taylor’s again. There was something in the way he said my name. As if it were the most important word in the world. No one had ever said it that way. And his touch? It made every part of me come alive. What would it feel like when there were no clothes between us? When he kissed me? When he—

“The address,” he commanded.

I thought about the house where I’d grown up. When had it stopped feeling like home? When Rowan died? Or before then? The last thing I wanted was for Taylor to get caught in the crossfire of what I’d started earlier. He deserved a mate who wouldn’t get him killed during their first meeting.

“I asked for a safe place for the night.” It was a reminder to myself as well as the man in the vehicle with me. “There’s nothing left at my house that matters.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, baby,” Taylor growled. “What happened there matters, and I’ll make damn sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“No.” Weak and unsure. “No.” Louder. Firmer.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open, stripping my shirt over my head as I did. I’d managed to kick off my shoes and undo my jeans by the time he rounded the vehicle and headed toward me.

“Don’t you dare,” he warned.

“You’re not my father, not my mate, nothing to me except a stranger I thought would find me a safe place for the night.”

He growled, and I ignored the way my thighs shook and my channel grew slick with desire. Instead, I kept my head down and made quick work of stripping off the rest of my clothes.

“I don’t need you to defend me. I took care of the asshole who tried to hurt me.” Temporarily but Taylor didn’t need to know that. “Besides, I’m leaving. Leaving this town and this pack. You’re noth—”

He jerked me to him, slid his hands down to cup my ass and lifted. I grabbed his shoulders, and he caught my cry with his mouth, swallowing it with his kiss. He dove deep, tasting all my secrets, even the ones I hid from myself. He laid my soul as bare as my skin. I’d never been so scared in my life. Of losing myself. Of finding myself. Of losing him before I’d really had the opportunity to know him. Of…everything.

I pushed at him and found myself pinned between his body and the side of the SUV. He was hard and thick between my thighs. I clenched my fingers in his shoulders to keep from reaching down and ripping him free of his jeans. I ground against him even as I tried to order my body to still. What was he doing to me?

He lifted me higher, catching my nipple in his mouth. My moan rode the wind, carried by the breeze to fill the night. He palmed my ass with one hand and slid the other around, slipped it between my thighs, his fingers stroking my folds. His thumb rubbed over my clit while he tapped his fingers rhythmically against me. I needed him to touch me. Inside. I needed it like I needed air.

“Mine,” he growled, and a shudder went through me.

“No, I…” I sucked air into my lungs, fighting myself and the need he’d created inside me. “I’m leaving.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” he countered.

I wiggled and pushed my way out of his arms then took several steps away from him, needing the distance to help clear my head.

“Don’t even think about running from me,” he warned, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “I see the wild in your eyes. I see the passion lurking inside, ready to be free, too. When I get you under me, you’ll burn us both alive.”

I shook my head, doing my best to dislodge the image he’d planted there with his words. He moved around, picking up my clothes then holding them out to me.

“Get dressed, and let’s head out. I need to finish rounding up the troublemakers before we continue what we started.”

“You don’t need me for that. Go,” I ordered him.

He shook my clothes at me. “Dressed. Now.”

“I’m not a member of your pack, Taylor. And even if I was, there’s no way in hell I’d let you order me around.”

He gave me a brooding look. “Your pack will be absorbed into ours shortly.”

“That—”

“But,” he continued, cutting me off. “That’s beside the point. You’ll listen and obey because I’m your mate. You belong to me, Rebel.”

I forced a laugh. Caveman words shouldn’t turn me on, but damn it! Everything about Taylor was a turn on. “I’m not a possession. I don’t belong to anyone.”

He jerked me against his frame again. “You have two options, Rebel. Put your clothes on so we can leave.” He released me slowly, making sure my body felt every hard edge of his. “Or you can go ahead and run.” He leaned close, his mouth at my ear. His warm breath sent shivers through me. “I know you want to run, but be prepared. I won’t walk away the way I’m betting everyone else in your life has. I’ll pursue you. To the ends of the earth. Mark my words, woman. You belong to me.”

His words struck true and deep into my soul. I’d known him so briefly, yet he saw inside me where others failed to even look. Probably because they didn’t care. His look. His touch. I couldn’t handle it. Couldn’t handle him. But god, how I wanted to. It was too late though. I already had one foot out the door of this dead-end town.

“I’m leaving,” I repeated, and before he made another caveman statement, I took off at a run, shifting and letting my wolf take over. There was freedom there. Exhilaration. Plus, it would speed up my body’s healing process. Most of all, I needed it. God, how I needed it. The wind. The rush.

I ran with abandon, sprinting through the edge of the open field he’d parked beside and making a beeline for the trees beyond it. I knew these woods like the back of my hand. All of the woods around town, actually. I’d run them my whole life, but I’d been trying to escape them for the last few years. I’d saved and stockpiled so I could get away. And it was gone. All gone. I had nothing.

I spied movement to my left and turned my head to take in the largest wolf I’d ever seen. It took me a few strides to realize he was shadowing me.

Taylor.

Part of me had known he’d follow me. Part of me had been scared he wouldn’t care enough to. Wasn’t that the story of my life? The girl with no one. No one there. No one who gave a shit about her. And as much as I wanted to grab on to the first person who offered me more, old insecurities held me back. What did it mean that the only other male who’d cared about me was dead?

With that, I broke. I stopped on a dime, lifting my head to the sky and howling. At some point, I shifted back to my human skin, finding myself on all fours, body shaking as my tears fell.

“I’ve got you,” Taylor crooned, lifting me against his bare chest.

I’d hate myself for this later. I didn’t fall apart. I especially didn’t fall apart with a man I’d just met, one who made me feel things I’d never felt…

“Nobody has me,” I argued, turning my head so his chest cushioned my face as I cried.

“Shh, baby,” he murmured above me. “I’ve got you, and I’m never letting you go.”

“You can’t say that.”

“Can. Did. And will again and again until you believe me,” he countered.

“You don’t know me.” It was a reminder to myself as much as him.

“I know you’re mine. I didn’t think I had a mate. Now I’ve found you. I’m never letting you get away. Never.”

Chapter Four

~Taylor~

She’d gone silent on me once I’d gotten her home address. It was yet another side of her personality, and I found it fascinating. I swear I felt the gears in her mind clicking from where I sat behind the wheel. I had no idea what she planned, but I looked forward to it. Anything but more tears. She’d killed me with the sobs she’d freed in the woods. They’d dried up as we’d walked back to the SUV. I’d quietly asked for her address, and she’d just as quietly given it to me. Then she’d gone radio silent.

The bruises on her face were mostly healed, now, as were the marks on her side and the myriad bruises I’d seen when she’d first stripped. Remembering what she’d looked like had my blood boiling all over again. Some wolves used our unique healing abilities as an excuse to lay hands where they shouldn’t. I’d put more than one of those wolves in their place. Tonight, I would again.

I pulled in the drive next to an old truck and turned to face Rebel. “You can stay out here.”

She shook her head. “No. I…I’ll go in. I just need to tell you something first.”

“I’m listening.”

“I spilled blood here tonight.”

“The man who attacked you?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll spill more before the night ends.”

“You don’t understand, Taylor. Benji’s mean, and he runs with a group of guys just like him. I don’t… I don’t want to see you get hurt because of me.”

Fuck. I didn’t know whether to be grateful she was admitting to caring for me or insulted she didn’t think I could take care of myself. I appeased my ego by reminding myself she’d never seen me fight. My mate had no idea what I was capable of. She would shortly. Then she’d never doubt my ability to protect her.

“I won’t get hurt, baby. More importantly, I’ll make damn sure no one ever tries to hurt you again either.” I stared into her gorgeous blue eyes for a long moment. “One of the people I put in their place tonight will be your mother.”

She shook her head again, but I continued before she could speak.

“She should have protected you. From the time you were born. That’s what a parent’s job is. To nurture and protect. If I ever get lucky enough to have a son or daughter…” I had to stop and swallow the emotion in my chest. “I’ll protect them with my life if needed.”

A lone tear slid down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away. She straightened her shoulders as if preparing herself to go into her home. Didn’t that say a lot about her life. A home should be a refuge to run to, not a place to run from.

“I have a few things I’d like to get while I’m here. I left pretty quickly. Plus, I didn’t have room on my bike. If you don’t mind, I can put them in your SUV. I’ll find a place to store them before I leave.” She glanced up at me as if she expected me to say no to her request. “I might want them when I find my own place.”

Part of me wanted to tell her again she wasn’t leaving, to remind her she was my mate. But I’d show her instead. Later. For now, this worked just fine for me. We’d get whatever she wanted, put it in the back of my vehicle and move it to my home—the place I firmly planned to move her into. It was close to the house my alpha, Bas, had taken with his sister. The one he’d be moving his somewhat reluctant bride into once he’d convinced her.

Most of the pack stayed on the property with him. I had a house about a mile up the road. It made sense for me to be there. A line of defense in case some idiot got it into his head he wanted to fuck with the James Pack. I had a big house with plenty of room for my mate and the family we’d build together.

“We’ll grab whatever you want,” I assured her.

“Fine,” she snapped, and I saw the shields going up as she climbed out and stomped toward the door. “Know this, Taylor. I’ll never forgive you if you get hurt because of me.”

I almost laughed, but I sensed that was meant more toward herself than me. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to me. Was there no one in the godforsaken Rigton pack who cared about her? Hell, if anything, tonight was making me dislike this damn pack even more.

“Stay behind me,” I ordered as I caught up with her.

She shook her head. “I’ll lead the way. I know this house inside and out. We’ll go to my room first and get my stuff. After that, we’ll check out the house and see if Benji’s still here. If he’s not, I know some of the places he hangs out. Maybe, we can get a few more of your pack and go find him.”

I didn’t comment. My actions would show her the man I was. Instead, I waved my hand, letting her go ahead of me to the porch. If her hand shook a little when she grabbed her keys, I pretended not to notice. I wasn’t sure what had happened earlier between her and her mother, but Rebel was gearing up for whatever she expected to greet her. I was more than ready to step in when my woman needed me. There was one goddamn thing she should be certain of, no one would raise a hand to her again.

She unlocked the door and stepped inside. She paused briefly, but when it was apparent no one was waiting for us, she moved on. I followed closely on her heels. Rebel headed down a hallway and into a room saturated with her scent. The bed was unmade. One blanket hung to the floor, and pillows were tossed haphazardly at the headboard. There was a chair in the corner by a full-length mirror. Clothes and books were piled on the cushion, spilling onto the floor. Bottles of perfume and makeup, scattered brushes, and lingerie littered the top of her dresser. My woman was messy. I loved it. I tended to keep everything tidy, perfectly put away, but God, I wanted her clutter.

She whipped around the room like a whirlwind, pulling out suitcases, ripping open drawers and carrying stuff by the armloads to toss them inside. I stepped inside the room, careful to stay out of her path and leaned against the wall to watch. Hell, I wasn’t sure she even remembered I was with her, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

She moved from the dresser to the closet, leaving mostly empty drawers half-open. She ripped the clothes from where they hung, taking some hangers with her while others fell to a ghostly death, snapped in one way or another.

“What the hell are you doing back here?”

The woman who filled the doorway looked nothing like Rebel. Old enough to be her mother, yes. But…no resemblance whatsoever to my beautiful mate. No, this woman had bleached hair that stuck up all over her head. Her makeup was smeared. She was taller than Rebel by a couple of inches, and her eyes were a murky shade of brown. She was lackluster. How my amazing mate had come from this woman, I had no idea.

“I’m leaving.” That seemed to be Rebel’s mantra for the night. God knew she’d said the same words to me more than once. And she was leaving. She wasn’t leaving me, though. She was leaving with me.

“Leaving requires not coming back,” the blonde hissed. “I warned you not to come back here.” She glanced around nervously. “Hurry up and get what you want and go. And this time, don’t ever come back.”

“Was there ever a time when you loved me?” Rebel asked softly. “When I was born? When I took my first steps or said my first word?”

“I’m a whore, Rebel. Whores aren’t meant to be mothers. I should have…” She bit off the rest of her words, but Rebel didn’t let it go.

“You should have what? Done something to prevent me from even being born? Killed me one night in my sleep?”

I barely contained the growl in my chest.

“My whole life I’ve only ever wanted someone to love me. How silly of me to think you might be capable of such an emotion.”

“I’ve done the best I could with what I had. Made sure you had a roof over your head. Food to eat. Clothes to wear. None of it matters now. You need to leave.”

“Leaving would be a lot easier if I had the money you took. Why would you steal from me?” Rebel asked.

Her mother looked exhausted. “I…I needed it.”

She was lying. I stepped away from the wall and her gaze swung to me. “You didn’t take the money. Who did? Who are you covering for?”

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head almost frantically. “Just leave. I’m begging you, Rebbie. Take your man and get the hell out of here. Go anywhere. Don’t look back.”

“She’s not going anywhere,” I stated to both of them. Now, I understood why she kept saying she was leaving. Hell, she certainly had nothing in this house to keep her here.

Listening to the two of them brought back memories I’d much rather leave alone. I rubbed my hand over the scruff of my beard and what lay beneath. I knew firsthand what it was to have no one protect you. I was one of the walking wounded myself. Or I had been before I’d crossed paths with the James Pack and found a band of brothers with similar stories. Rebel was meant to be a part of us.

“Come back for some more, did ya?”

A burly guy closer to her mother’s age entered Rebel’s bedroom and stepped toward her. I was quicker. I pinned him to the wall, feet dangling, my hand choking the air out of him.

“Is this the man who attacked you?” Now, I reveled in the gritty tone of my voice. I wanted the fear I saw on his face, the smell of it tickling my nose like a foul odor.

“No, it wasn’t him,” Rebel told me. “This is Jarod Makers. He’s definitely one of those problem makers you were talking about. He’s one of my mother’s…friends.”

I glared at him, not caring that he struggled for breath. I glanced between him and Rebel’s mother, and it clicked. “He took your money.”

“What?” Rebel narrowed her eyes at the man I held.

I released him enough that he could answer some questions.

He sputtered and coughed then glared. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but you’ve messed with the wrong man. That little girl tried to kill my son, Benji, and she’s going to pay for it.”

I lifted him away from the wall just so I could slam him back against it. He was putting on a good show, but his fear was palpable. If it escalated much higher, he’d piss himself.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Taylor Gelsted.” He paled, and I grinned. “I see you’ve heard of me.”

“I don’t want any trouble with the James Pack,” he hastened to assure me.

“Then don’t fuck with my mate.”

“You’re…” His eyes went wide. “I didn’t know. Donna never said a thing about little Rebbie getting mated.”

“Ignorance doesn’t excuse what you’ve allowed to happen here. Your son tried to rape Rebel.”

His face went red with rage, and any intelligence he seemed to have flew out the window.

“Now, listen. Things aren’t what they seem around here. That piece you mated is just like her mother. She’s been leading Benji around since she hit puberty, getting him all riled up. He was only taking what she’s been teasing him with. Isn’t rape when it’s with a whore.”

“You lying sack of shit!” Rebel yelled and swung her fist at Makers. I let it connect. She was right. He was a lying sack of shit.

“Do you have a death wish?” I asked softly, releasing my grip on him. I wanted him to come at me, to challenge me. That would be all the encouragement I needed

“It doesn’t matter what I think no ways,” he told me. “Benji left to find his buddies. When he comes back, he won’t be alone. Rebbie will pay for what she did to my boy. One way or another.”

“Anyone who comes after my mate will face me.” I leaned into his face. “And I don’t lose. Ever.”

He eyed my scars, and I waited for him to say something. One word and I’d mop the floor with him.

“My boy doesn’t lose. Ever,” Makers warned. “I’m heading out. Donna?”

She threw a glance between Makers and her daughter then looked at me. I had a feeling she wanted to ask me something, and I even thought I knew what it was she wanted to know.

“Your choice,” I told her. “But know this. Rebel is my mate. No one will touch a hair on her head ever again. This is your one and only warning, Makers. If your son comes near Rebel, he’s going to die. I’ll rip him apart with my bare hands and let the maggots feed on his carcass. The same with anyone he brings with him. With no remorse.”

He looked as if he’d pass out.

“Do I make myself clear?”

He swallowed then nodded vigorously.

“Know this. My job tonight is to round up all the troublemakers in the Rigton pack and set them straight. Trouble, and those who cause it, won’t be tolerated. When you leave here tonight, I suggest you pack up and keep going. You’re no longer welcome in this town.”

“Now, wait just a minute.” He’d found his voice again. “You have no say in the Rigton Pack.”

“The Rigton Pack is no more. Your elders cut a deal to make you a part of the James Pack. You should make sure your son knows that before he signs his death warrant.”

“Donna, let’s go,” he called as he headed out of the room.

“If you go with him,” I warned. “You won’t be welcome back.”

“I’ve already made my choices,” she said then whispered softly to me as she followed Makers. “Keep her safe.”

“Tell Makers I want the money returned to Rebel. Whatever he took. If not, I’ll come after him and get it.”

She nodded then scampered out of the room, chasing a man who would be the death of her. I had no idea why she’d chosen him over her daughter. One look at Rebel and I knew that choice hurt her. I wanted to get her home and hold her. To show her there was one person in this world she could count on. Me.

Chapter Five

~Rebel~

Taylor was a force to be reckoned with. He’d been in an angry, aggressive mood since we’d left my house behind. In record time, we’d made our way through the rest of the names I’d given him. He’d made sure each of them was aware of the pack change. Those who’d balked had been handled accordingly. Taylor knew how to fight. He’d been bloody and brutal when needed then offered second chances to those who’d warranted them. Unfortunately, we hadn’t come across Benji or his buddies.

“What?” he snapped when his phone rang. He never took his eyes off the road as the caller’s voice filled the vehicle.

“Checking in to see if you need any help.”

“It’s done, Simon. How’re Bas and Cyan?”

Simon cleared his throat. “Bas and his mate are at the house. Cyan took off after his mate. I’ll keep watch outside the house until one of you gets back.”

“Where’s Belinda?” Taylor asked, still not sparing me a glance. Hell, I was beginning to wonder if he remembered I was still there.

“She’s in the house with Bas and his mate.” Simon didn’t sound happy about that. Was Belinda his mate?

“That’s good. I’m going to be out of pocket for a bit. I’ll check in later. Anything goes down and you need me, you know what to do.”

“Got it,” Simon replied, and the phone disconnected.

I sat in silence for a minute then couldn’t hold in my curiosity. “What?”

Taylor glanced my way as his fingers kept tempo on the steering wheel to whatever was playing in his head.

“What, what?”

“What does he do to contact you when you’re out of pocket?”

“We carry pagers like doctors do. All of us have them. They’re only used in emergencies.”

“Have you had very many emergencies?”

“One or two,” he admitted.

We fell back into silence for a bit. Usually I did well with quiet, but I was antsy. Watching Taylor had me all worked up. I needed…something.

“Where are we going?”

“Toward the other side of town. I’ve got a house just down from where Bas set up the main residence for the James Pack.”

“Is that where you’re taking me for the night?”

He glanced my way and made a noncommittal response somewhere between a grunt and a growl. I wanted to ask him about the mate thing. Did he really believe I was his mate? I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet. I liked him. He’d turned me on from the time I’d caught a glimpse of him. His voice. His eyes. His size. He was a man who made a woman feel protected. And he thought I was worth it. I kept hearing him say that over and over in my head.

We pulled into the drive of a sprawling farmhouse. The porch was the first thing to catch my attention. It was one of those that wrapped around the whole house. I’d always wanted a house with a porch like that.

“We’re here.” He handed me the keys, front door key sticking out. “Open the door. I’ll grab your stuff and bring it in.” He moved before I could say anything.

Curiosity propelled me forward. I wanted to see his house, to see if there was anything to tell me more about him. I left the door open then wandered the main floor. The best I could say was it was…functional. There were no personal touches. Only basic furniture. The walls were all bare. He probably hadn’t been here long enough to put up anything or really do much of anything. I turned another corner and ran smack into Taylor’s hard chest.

“Everything’s in the living room for now. You can figure out where you want to put it all later.” His hand rubbed up my side, the backs of his fingers brushing the side of my breast and sending my nipple to tingling awareness.

I made a decision in that moment, and taking a deep breath, I stepped into him.

“Planning to keep me here, Taylor?”

He nodded, leaned in and nipped my bottom lip with his teeth. “Forever.”

He took me under with his kiss, devouring me in a way that had every part of my body screaming with need. By the time he let me up for air, I was wrapped around him, my fingers buried in his hair. He cradled my ass in his hands, holding me firmly against him, and took the stairs two at a time. The next thing I knew, I was lying on his bed with Taylor over me.

He made quick work of our clothes. Quick being the operative word. Too quick. Things were moving far too quickly.

“Wait.” I pushed against his chest, and though I felt how much he wanted me, Taylor leaned back, dropping his head and taking a shaky breath. But stopping.

“What is it, baby?”

God, that voice of his. It made me so wet.

“Lights. I want to see you.”

His body tensed, and I felt the moment he forced himself to relax. He moved off me and padded across the room. With the flip of a switch, the room illuminated. Taylor illuminated. He stood tall and proud as I let my gaze roam over him. He was a big guy. Tall, yes. But so damn muscular he was scary with his clothes on. Without them. God! And he was definitely big all over. My gaze centered on his cock, and it jerked under the attention, smearing cum on his belly.

He slowly stalked toward the bed, letting me look my fill of him. As if I ever could.

“You’re gorgeous,” he murmured, and I smiled.

“I was thinking the same about you.”

I caught my breath as he grasped my feet and tugged me down the bed toward him. Then he went to his knees and nibbled along the inner edge of my foot, interspersing each nip with soft presses of his lips. His hands rubbed and kneaded my flesh. Touching me…everywhere. I didn’t have to ask what he was doing. He was making sure I was relaxed and ready for what was coming next.

He took his time, and as he slowly made his way up my body, I let my hands explore him. I traced the muscles in his arms, the width of his shoulders, and ran my fingers through the lush locks on his head. Soft, thick. The sensation made me think of something else of his that softly rubbed along my inner leg. Something even thicker.

Then his lips tickled along my labia and had me catching my breath again. His fingers tightened where they held my thighs spread. He groaned as if in agony then slipped his tongue between the lips of my sex and rubbed me from my engorged bud to my slick opening. And he didn’t stop. He used his tongue like a mini cock, fucking my channel then lashing it back up to my clitoris and tapping it before sucking the swollen nub into his mouth.

I arched up off the bed, fingers clenched in the comforter under me while my legs tightened until I worried they might snap from the pressure. He pushed a finger inside me. It was larger than mine and filled me in a way I’d never been able to. And that was his finger. I’d seen his cock. It was so much bigger. Warmth trickled through me, radiating from my womb and moving outward toward my fingers and toes and the crown of my head. Magic. He was working magic on me, and I forgot to do anything but feel, to ride the waves of pleasure that slowly grew inside me.

Then the dam burst, and I wasn’t sure how to the rush of ecstasy at bay or why I’d even want to. I flew into it, soaring so high I wasn’t sure I’d ever come back down. Somehow, Taylor managed to anchor me. He maneuvered us so one arm was wrapped around my waist, his palm flat on my lower belly, fingers holding my lower lips parted so he could see every hidden part of me. He’d skimmed the other hand up my torso and played with my nipples, plumping and tugging them then giving them a slight pinch that rode the edge of pain without ever tumbling over into it.

He pumped his tongue in and out, fucking me through the little tremors that still shook me. Then he moved it up, flattening it over my clit and rubbing while thrusting two fingers back inside me. He took me up to the edge of release once more and held me there, stretching the promise of pleasure to the point I reached for it with everything I had.

“Taylor,” I moaned. Maybe, it was more of a whimper. A plea, even.

He did something with his shoulders that lifted my hips, putting my sex at an angle that let him work those big fingers in a way that stretched my inner walls. An ache built deep inside me, and I knew it would only be satisfied when he finally took me. I thrust my sex against his mouth. I couldn’t stop. With a husky chuckle and a sharp nip at the bottom curve of my ass, he changed the angle until I was screaming his name as I came again.

Before I caught my breath, he flipped onto my stomach and lifted my ass. His cock pressed against me then into me, and I lost my breath again as he eased in. I swore I felt my heartbeat in the flex of his cock. He held still, but I couldn’t. Maybe, he was trying to let me adjust, but all I needed was for him to move. To create that same sweet friction his fingers had.

“Fuck me,” I begged, using words I’d never thought I’d utter. My heart stuttered for a moment then calmed at Taylor’s words.

“What we do is make love,” he asserted as he slid back from me, his cock tugging along my sheath until it almost popped free. Then he surged back, hitting deep. “My mate.”

His hands gripped my hips, and he began a rhythm that had me locking my knees and dropping to my elbows in an attempt to remain in place beneath him. He surrounded me, filled me, and I relished every moment.

“Perfect,” he groaned. “God, you’re perfect.”

I shook my head in denial and earned a tap of his hand on my buttock. The fire burned my skin, sinking lower until it licked at my clit. Oh, god! He was going to make me come again.

“Love me then,” I begged. “Love me hard.”

That husky chuckle again. He increased his pace until he pounded into my sex. I reached down between my thighs and rubbed my fingertips over my clitoris, using the lubrication we’d created to help me crest the rise again. My sex locked down on him and still he rode me as I’d asked. And when I came around him, when I felt blackness at the edge of my vision as I fought to breathe, he roared my name. I felt the gush of his release inside and knew I’d found the one thing I’d feared I’d never find.

Home.

Chapter Six

~Taylor~

I cleaned Rebel as gently as I could, trying my best not to wake her. She’d been through a lot over the course of the evening. Emotionally and physically. She hadn’t challenged my mate claim, but she hadn’t returned it either. Not that it mattered to me. I was keeping her. If she tried to leave, I’d chase her down and bring her back then make love to her until she passed out, until she realized that we belonged together. No man would ever love her as fiercely or thoroughly as I planned to. And if another man tried…I’d kill him.

I eased her under the covers then headed back to the bathroom to discard the towels and get the light. I picked up our clothes and placed them in the hamper. In the morning, she could wear something of mine until we put away her things. Hell, I’d have her moved in before she realized what was happening.

I got into the bed beside her and pulled her against my body. The feel of her in my arms had my cock stretching to say hello, but I ignored it. I might have gone a little overboard showing her how good we’d be together, but after what we’d shared, there’d be no way she’d doubt it. She owned me. Every inch of me. Inside and out.

I cupped her breast in my palm, holding the fullness in my hand, and imagined our child nursing there while I watched. I pressed my other hand against her flat belly and visualized it swollen with our child. If the fates were kind, she’d already be pregnant with our firstborn. I wondered how many children she’d agree to give me. I’d always wanted a big family. No guessing on that one. I’d been an outcast until I’d met the James Pack, a lone wolf searching for the one thing he’d always been denied. A family. My pack was my family now, but a man wanted to create his own immortality through sons and daughters when he finally found his mate.

I’d have to take care of the Benji Makers problem first. She hadn’t said anything on the subject, but I knew she worried about him coming after her. And about me getting hurt protecting her. I’d be flattered that she cared if I weren’t so irritated at her lack of faith in me. I would protect her. No matter what came at us. If Makers was lucky, his father had gotten to him and persuaded him to leave. I hoped not, though. I wanted to get my hands on him. Rebel deserved nothing less from her mate.

I snuggled in, wrapping around her so that she wouldn’t be able to move without me knowing it. I buried my nose in her hair and breathed deeply of her scent mixed with the musk of the sex we’d shared. I drifted off to sleep and woke to velvet heat stroking along my shaft. I knew what it was before I even opened my eyes. Rebel. More accurately, her mouth. Tasting me as I had her the night before. I almost came the moment awareness hit me.

“Fuck,” I growled, tilting my head back and reaching down to spear my fingers through her hair. It was long and loose this morning, shielding her face from me. I tugged it back. Glancing down my body to catch a glimpse of her face, I watched her lips spread wide around my girth. Then she flicked her gaze up to meet mine. Christ! What a woman.

I growled, wrapping her hair around my fists as I slowly fucked up into her mouth. Her moan vibrated down into my sac and had that orgasm looming closer. Then she tried to take me into her throat. My hips automatically rose to meet the promised heaven and I heard her gag. It took all I had to pull back. I hooked my hands under her arms and jerked her up my body until she straddled my head.

“Hold on,” I ordered and spread her sweet pussy wide so I could feast. She was the sweetest treat I’d ever tasted, an addiction I looked forward to starting. She gave a cry and gripped the headboard behind my head. Her knees were braced beside my shoulders, and with some encouragement, she sank lower on my face.

I had her coming within minutes, my name a shout from her lips. She was sweeter than honey, and I wanted to rub her juices into my skin, so everyone would be able to smell her on me. I moved my mouth to her clit and used two fingers to work her channel, angling so I could brush along her anus as I did.

She chanted my name softly, reaching down to grip my hair with her fingers. This was how we should start every morning, with her juices dripping down my chin before I mounted her, so we could both greet the day with an orgasm. I worked her through a second orgasm, lapping up as much of her sweetness as I could before slipping from between her thighs.

“Stay just like that,” I ordered as I rose and turned behind her. I slid my knees between hers, lifting her so she straddled my lap, my cock kissing her opening. I spread my palm over her belly and held her close as she sank onto me. Even better than I remembered. That’s how she felt. Even better.

I gripped her shoulder with my mouth, and her whimper of submission was my undoing. I fucked her hard and fast, penetrating deep with every thrust. We became animal instinct, and the instinct was to mate. I wanted this woman with every inch of my being. I knew women weren’t possessions, but the animal side of me challenged that statement, determined that she belonged to us. I wasn’t a savage, though. I belonged to her, as well. Mutual belonging.

At some point, she couldn’t hold on anymore, and I turned us on the bed so she was flat on her stomach beneath me. I gripped her hips, lifting them just enough so I could continue thrusting, maintaining the pleasure we both reveled in. I fought a war with myself. I wanted to come, and at the same time, I wanted to spend forever wrapped in her liquid heat.

Then I imagined my cum filling her up, spilling out of her, covering her inside and out. I wanted to see it painting her buttocks, splashed on her belly and thighs, dribbling along the curves of her breasts, dotting her lips and cheeks. It was enough to have me roaring with release. Eventually, we’d get to that. Right now, I wanted it all inside her.

I managed to maneuver us, so I could keep my cock tucked inside her without crushing her tiny body. I had one hand wrapped around her middle, keeping her pressed to me while I ran my fingers up and down her side.

“Is sex always like this?” she asked quietly.

“Between us, yes.”

She’d never know what it might be with someone else. I’d kill any man who tried.

“What makes you think we’re mates?”

My hand stilled at her question, and she turned to look at me.

“We just met, Taylor. Shouldn’t it take more than a chance meeting? We barely know each other.”

“I know what I know,” I disagreed. “You’re my mate. I knew it the moment I scented you in that parking lot.”

“You scented me?”

She seemed uncertain about how to feel about that.

“Your unique scent draws me like a moth to the flame. You burn me alive. We belong together. Can’t you feel it?”

I wanted her to say yes. I needed that yes. Instead, she turned in my arms. My cock slipped free. When she lay on her back, she reached up and ran her fingers over my beard. “What happened?”

As my mate, she deserved no less than the truth. She needed to know who I was, and that included where I’d come from and what I was capable of.

“My mother gave them to me the night she tried to kill me.”

“She…” Rebel shook her head in denial.

“Yes,” I told her. “My father didn’t want anything to do with her or me. He’d set his sights on another woman for his mate and couldn’t have his lover and her bastard son messing stuff up. Not for the alpha. So he threw us out of the pack. He eventually consented to let her back in on one condition. She got rid of the child.”

“I thought my mom was a bitch,” Rebel said, tears filling her eyes. “But at least, she kept me. I had a home and a pack.”

“Your mom is a bitch. Mine was worse.”

“Past tense?” she questioned.

“She tried to hang me. Thanks to her ineptitude, I managed to work my chin under the rope and take the pressure off my neck. I might have died anyway, but luckily, I was found. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t before my skin was shredded. It healed eventually, but I’ll always have the scars where it tore open.” Just as I’d always have this voice.

“How old were you?”

“Five.”

“What about shifting? Wouldn’t it have healed you?”

“I was too weak from blood loss. The woman who found me did everything she could to keep me alive. Luckily for me she knew what she was doing.” Still, it had taken me nearly a year to shift. Maybe if I’d been older, more attuned to the animal within me. But I’d been young, unsure, just learning about who and what I was.

Tears spilled from her eyes, and she wrapped around me as if trying to protect the boy I’d been. It was too late for the boy, but I could give her the man he’d grown into. The good and the bad. All of me.

“Tell me her death was yours,” she demanded. “Tell me you hunted her down and killed her for what she’d done.”

I nodded. “Both of them. I didn’t grow the facial hair until after that. I…I wanted my scarred face to be the last thing they saw, wanted them to know. I walked away after that. Wandered around, picking up work when and where I could until I came across Bastion, his sister Belinda, who most of us call Bee, and Cyan.”

“They took you in.” It was a statement, but I continued anyway.

“Bee was actually the one who approached me. Walked right up, put her hand on my chest, and told me I’d do. Then she turned to Cyan and said I’d be his right hand. Told me to guard him closely. A week later, I saved Cyan’s life when he was attacked by a group of wolves outside a bar. They didn’t count on me being there.”

“She couldn’t have known that was going to happen!”

“No, she couldn’t have known, but I think she had a sense something was going to happen. You’ll meet her soon. She’s different. I don’t know how to explain it, but she knows things you’d swear she couldn’t.”

“How does she feel about you guys coming here, taking on our pack?” Rebel asked.

“I tried to talk Bastion out of taking on the Rigton pack. I didn’t see a reason for us to settle in one place and stay,” I told her. “Bas wants to start sinking in roots, to build for our future. Said this felt right.”

“And?” she prompted. “What did Bee say?”

“She said the future of our pack is here. Then she smiled and told Bas, Cyan, and I that it would be fun watching us fall in love and we should remember how crazy and stupid we got when her mate shows up. Bas grinned. Cyan laughed. I just shrugged.”

“Bee’s mated?”

“Not yet, but she knows he’s out there. She says he’s searching for her. That when the time’s right, they’ll meet.” But sometimes, there was a sadness in her eyes when she spoke of her mate. It made me wonder what she saw or knew that she wasn’t sharing.

“She sounds like a unique person,” Rebel finally said.

I could tell she had no idea what to think, but she was curious, as well. She had questions, questions that would only be answered when she met Bas’ sister. Bee was best described in person. I didn’t know how she knew the things she did, but I’d learned not to question. While some feared and tried to avoid the alpha’s sister, I liked her. She was genuine, honest, and so damn hopeful it was hard to be around her and not feel a bit of it yourself.

“You’ll find out when you meet her,” I told my mate. Actually, I couldn’t wait for her to meet Bas, Bee and the rest of the James Pack.

“We should get up and get dressed,” Rebel suggested, sitting up in the bed while hugging the sheet to her chest. “I need to deal with my stuff downstairs. But first, I need to go get my bike from the parking lot. Will you give me a ride?”

“I’ll bring your stuff up in a bit. Put it wherever you want. I can have one of the guys pick up your bike and bring it over. That way we can stay like we are.”

Keeping her naked in bed all day sounded perfect to me. My dick was already rising to the occasion. Plus, I had a feeling if she went after her bike, she’d end up doing something I wouldn’t like. Such as trying to track down Benji by herself.

“Why don’t you go get some of my clothes from downstairs while I start the shower?” she suggested. “We can figure everything else out after we get dressed and eat.”

Shit! I should have thought of feeding her. Hell, I didn’t even know if she’d eaten the night before. She hadn’t from the point I’d found her. Not setting a great example of what kind of mate I’d be by letting her go hungry.

“Shower’s through there.” I pointed as I stood. Her gaze traveled down my torso to my rock-hard cock, and her eyes widened with surprise. “I’ll grab your stuff and be right back up.”

I walked out stark naked. No sense in throwing on anything when I planned to join her in the shower. I groaned as I thought of sliding my cock deep while the warm water poured over us. I took the stairs two at a time, grabbed a couple of her cases at random then headed back upstairs to my woman.

The water was running, and I heard her moving around in the bathroom. I tossed her stuff at the bed and moved to join her. Maybe if I loved her again, she’d see what I already knew. We were mates, and nothing would keep me from her. Not even her fears.

Chapter Seven

~Rebel~

We’d made love in the shower then at the kitchen table once we’d finished breakfast. He’d talked me into watching a movie with him and cuddled me on the couch, his hand rubbing up and down my side, driving me crazy. He’d used his mouth and fingers to bring me to orgasm again then held me in the aftermath. I’d fallen asleep and awoken to find my things spread around his house. The cases and bags I’d used to carry stuff were nowhere to be seen. He’d probably found a place to put those, as well.

When I hadn’t found Taylor downstairs, I’d headed upstairs. He’d put my clothes up in his closet. It was disconcerting to see my things hanging alongside his. My heart caught. He kept saying we were mates. Seeing this, it was easy to accept he meant it. But Benji was still out there. As much as I craved Taylor, I’d always be afraid Benji would show up with his friends and hurt Taylor because of me. I couldn’t live with that.

Not finding him upstairs, I headed back down and stepped outside to see if he was there. I heard his voice and followed it around the porch to the backyard. My bike was parked to the side of the house, and he was speaking with a man. Since I didn’t recognize him, I took it he was another member of the James Pack.

Taylor glanced over immediately, said something to dismiss whoever he’d been talking to and headed toward me, pressing his hand against the small of my back and heading me back toward the door.

“You had my bike delivered,” I said as he led me toward the table and urged me into a seat.

“Food, too,” he said as he opened the fridge and pulled something out. “Let me pop it in the oven for a bit, and we can eat. I’ve had the oven warming for when you woke up.”

I watched him move around the kitchen with ease and took the glass of wine he held out to me. What would it be like to end every day like this?

“Penny for your thoughts,” he offered.

“Still no sign of Benji?”

Taylor shook his head. “I’ve had several of the guys keeping watch at the places you pointed out. Nothing yet. He could have left with his father, though.” He came over and squatted by my chair. “You don’t need to worry, Rebel. I’ll keep you safe.”

I cupped his face. “I know you will.” It was his safety I was most concerned about.

“I’ll keep myself safe, also,” he said softly.

“I don’t…” I paused and shook my head at my own reticence.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said when I didn’t finish. “I’ll give you all the time you need to accept we’re mates. We might have a few children while I wait, but I’m game if you are.”

I almost laughed until the truth of his words hit me. I dropped my hand to my stomach, and he laced his fingers over mine there. We’d had sex so many times since we’d arrived home it was possible I was already pregnant.

“I don’t know if I can stay,” I warned him instead of commenting on the children remark.

“Because of Benji Makers?”

“No. Because of who I am in this town, who my mother was in this town. I’ve weathered enough storms here,” I admitted. “I don’t want to weather any more.”

“Storms aren’t meant to be weathered, baby. They’re meant to call to the wild inside you, to entice you outside. Have you ever been for a run during a storm?”

I shook my head.

“There’s something primal about it. I’ll take you the next time we have one.” He leaned in and nipped my bottom lip. “Maybe, I’ll persuade you to be a little adventurous in the rain.”

“You like to dance in the rain?” I teased, though I was pretty sure he was talking about having sex outside during a storm.

“I like the idea of dancing with you in the rain. Of settling you under me and making love while the storm crashes around us, crashes inside us.”

“You make me want things,” I admitted.

“Want them,” he encouraged. “With me. Stay with me. Here. Make it a home with me. Fill it with laughter and children.”

“Yesterday, my wolf and I were set on getting the hell out of this place.”

“And now?” he asked me.

I shrugged. “Part of me still wants to run as far and fast as I can. But not without you. My former alpha, Rowan, once told me when I met my mate, I’d know it by the way my heart feels when I’m around them. By the way it beats a little stronger in my chest.”

He took my hand and placed it over his heart, letting me feel the strong, steady thump there. “Does this mean you’re accepting that we’re mates?”

“I don’t know how to be a mate,” I confessed. “My mother never had one, so I didn’t get that example.”

He snorted. “I told you about my mother. It doesn’t matter. What they didn’t give us doesn’t matter. We’ll figure it out together. Just the two of us.”

“I don’t want to screw this up,” I told him. I didn’t want to do anything that might encourage him to walk away and leave me. God, it would hurt so much more to lose him after I let myself fall in love with him. Mating was a lifetime commitment. “Maybe, we should try being mates for a week or so and see how it goes?”

He laughed, and damn, but the sound was sexy. Then he stood, grabbing me and lifting me out of my chair as he did. He set me on the countertop beside the stove and wedged himself between my thighs. “No trial run. We’re mates. Period.”

He leaned in and kissed me. His tongue slicked my bottom lip before dipping inside on my moan. He had me wrapped around him by the time he let me up for air.

“Say it,” he commanded. “Tell me you’re my mate.”

I bit my lip. If I said it, there would be no going back with a man like him. I couldn’t let fear dictate my choices, though. Benji had caused enough trouble, and my mom had made her choices. Her choices weren’t mine. Leaving this town wouldn’t change that. I had to understand that in my head, in my heart. This was my chance at happiness, and I would take it. I took a deep breath and said the words that would change my life forever.

“I’m your mate.”

He lifted me off the counter and tossed me over his shoulder instantly.

“Wait! What about the oven?” I yelled, and Taylor paused, turning back long enough to turn it off before heading upstairs.

He tossed me on the bed and immediately followed me down, covering me as he tugged at clothes. I helped him until we were both naked and he was pressing inside me. I’d learned I loved it when he filled me up. I’ve never felt more alive than when his cock pumped into me, rubbing every nerve along my channel and edging me higher and higher toward the greatest pleasure I’ve ever known.

“Always like this,” he vowed to me. “It will always be this good, this fulfilling.”

I moaned in response, unable to articulate how he made me feel. It was so much more than good, more than fulfilling. It was every part of my body coming to life and perfectly attuning to him. His every move prompted a reaction in me. Every ounce of pleasure he felt was magnified in me. The rasp of his body hair against sensitive nerves. The heat of his body covering mine. The brush of flesh against flesh and the drip of sweat. His scent bathed me, filling my lungs much the way his shaft speared my center. Nothing. Nothing in my life had prepared me for him.

I lifted my legs to grip his hips, curling my arms under his to get a better grip on his shoulders. Then I held tight, riding the storm overtaking us. I rose into him as the pleasure crashed through us. He was my anchor in the storm, somehow managing to keep me grounded while letting me fly at the same time. And fly is exactly what I did as I reached orgasm. I arched my head back, exposing my throat, and he dropped his mouth, sucking at the column as he rode me.

“Taylor!”

“I’ve got you, baby,” he crooned in that sexy voice of his. “Hold on to me.”

I clung, lifting my face to his, eager for his kiss. He didn’t disappoint, with soft nibbles followed by gentle flicks of his tongue at the seam. Then he licked his way inside my mouth. I moved my hands up so I could cradle his face. The kiss went from exploring to orgasm-inducing in seconds then to soothing. And still he rode me hard. He pumped until I was pooled beneath him, too strung out from the overload of pleasure to do much more than moan softly.

That was when he finally allowed himself release. He grunted, changing the angle of penetration every few strokes as if he were searching for the exact spot he wanted. My channel fluttered around him, still rippling from the numerous orgasms I’d had. Then with a growl, he lowered his head toward my throat and gripped my flesh between his teeth as he came.

He collapsed atop me, and I wrapped one leg around his, trying to hold him there when he grunted and tried to move.

“Stay,” I whispered. “I like the way you feel on top of me.”

He shifted enough so his pelvis stayed with mine but his upper body was half on, half off. Then he settled beside me with a groan, turning his head so he could nuzzle my neck.

He murmured something as he dozed off, and everything in my body stopped for a moment.

“Taylor?”

His only reply was a soft snore.

I had to be mistaken. It was too soon, too fast. Lord, we hadn’t even known each other more than a couple days. I’d heard things moved fast between mates once they’d found each other, going from zero to three-sixty in the space of one heartbeat to the next.

I hadn’t told Taylor everything Rowan had shared with me. He’d also said when I found my mate, the two of us would fall hard and fast. I’d laughed it off, but there’d been a look in Rowan’s gaze that made me briefly wonder if he’d found his mate. But if he had, she’d have been with him. There was no way he’d have been apart from her, not if it felt the same as it did between Taylor and me.

Knowing my mate slept beside me gave me the courage to share the words back, though not quite the same way. He’d said I love you. I wasn’t ready to leap into those words yet.

“I’m falling in love with you, too,” I whispered.

Falling fast with no safety net in sight.

Chapter Eight

~Taylor~

I stayed at the house with Rebel for four days before I had to leave. I’d missed Bas’ mating ceremony with Raina Byrd—Raina James now. Cyan was still off with the woman he’d carted out of the bar.

As reluctant as I was to leave our home, I had to go check in with more than a phone call. Bas needed to see me. There were issues to discuss. Logistics to go over when it came to absorbing the members of the Rigton pack into ours and taking over their territory. Surrounding packs had to be made aware, and that meant muscle needed to be displayed to dissuade any of them from thinking Rigton was ripe for the picking.

I still couldn’t believe the pack had been left in such disarray in the wake of Rowan Byrd’s death. I get that he wasn’t mated and didn’t have an heir, but as the previous alpha, his father should have stepped up. Hell, they could have put Raina in place as alpha. From what I’d learned of her, she’d have been a perfect pick. Instead, most of the pack males had departed, leaving those remaining exposed to threat. They were damn lucky Bas had taken one look at Raina’s picture and fallen hard.

This morning, my dilemma was leaving my sleeping mate in our bed. I knew she wanted to go back by her mother’s house to check on things, but I didn’t want her going alone. I left her a note promising I’d be back shortly and telling her to wait for me before going anywhere. I still wasn’t sure Makers hadn’t followed along with his dad when he’d cut out of town, but I wouldn’t let down my guard until I knew for certain the threat no longer existed.

She turned in her sleep, and the sheet tugged down enough to bare one soft pink nipple. It took all I had to turn away instead of bending and sucking the delicious morsel into my mouth. I forced my legs to move and shut the door quietly behind me. Locking the house up tight, I put in a call to Simon to let him know I was on my way.

“‘Bout time you decided to show up,” Simon razzed me.

“Shut up,” I ordered, and the bastard only laughed. If he wasn’t so good at his job, I might have to knock him around some. But Simon was golden when it came to anything electronic. He could also handle himself in a fight, though many failed to see that until he’d put them in their place. We’d become fast friends, much to the surprise of the rest of our pack.

“Anything I need to know?” I headed down the road on foot. I wasn’t far from the main house, and if anyone came snooping around, I wanted to give the illusion I was still home.

“We’ll go over everything when you get here. I’ve got a list of places where we need to put in appearances. Make sure we head off any problems before they occur.”

Sounded like Simon. Always thinking ahead.

“How’s Rebel?” he asked.

“Still sleeping. We were up pretty late last night.”

He chuckled but didn’t make any bawdy comments. Yet another reason we were friends.

“I’m still coming up with nothing on Makers,” Simon told me. “Accounts haven’t been touched. Neither have his credit cards.”

“Keep watching,” I ordered. “Is Bee around?”

“She’s at the house,” Simon answered, and there was wistfulness in his voice. I wasn’t sure why he harbored a crush on her. He held onto it like a lifeline, despite the fact Bee had told him from the get-go they weren’t meant for each other. “She hasn’t said anything about Rebel or you, though.”

Leave it to him to know what I was thinking.

“I’m at the drive. Meet me at the house.”

I disconnected and took off at a fast lope. The quicker we went over things, the quicker I could get back to Rebel. My chest ached being away from her. Simon met me at the door, and we headed inside, going straight for Bas’ office. Most of those coming were already there, and Bas followed closely behind us.

“Good job rounding up the riff-raff, Taylor,” he called as he entered, and I grunted in response. “I hear you took one of the Rigtons as your mate. Raina speaks highly of her. She also said your mate’s been through a lot and not to hurt her. Raina might have threatened to rip you apart if needed.” Bas’ grin shared exactly how much pride he found in his mate’s bloodthirstiness. Simon had said Raina was perfect for our alpha, and it certainly seemed so.

“My mate’s former pack is now part of ours, and as such, it’s ours to protect. I won’t say I understand what happened when Rowan Byrd died, but I know he should have had someone willing to step up and seize the reins. Instead, those most capable left and won’t be welcomed back. Simon has a list of places where we need to make our presence known. Taylor has taken care of educating the troublemakers who were clinging to the faltering pack. Now, it’s time for a show of strength. We’re putting down roots. No more moving around. We’re here to stay.”

We went over a few more things, but I felt antsy. Bas caught me checking the time more than once and grinned. As a newly mated man himself, I’m sure he understood my need to get back to Rebel.

“See everyone here, tonight at eight,” Simon called out as Bas headed toward me.

“No word from this Makers guy, yet?”

“Nothing,” I answered and had to admit it rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t believe he was gone. I couldn’t explain it, but that was the crux of why I didn’t want to leave Rebel alone for long.

“Raina says he’s a real prick. Him and the ilk he runs with. Said she doubted he’d take off if Rebel hurt him. He’s the type of guy who’d want payback.” Bas spit the words out with disgust. “I’ve got a couple of guys watching your back. I don’t like the silence from this guy. Gives me the creeps.”

Birds of a fucking feather. This similar response was one of the reasons I felt so at home in the James Pack. We didn’t second guess our instincts. We honed them, refined them to a fucking point, and followed them like a beacon.

“Same,” I conceded.

“If anything happens, you get a call out immediately. We take care of each other. None of us stands alone. You want to take on this guy head-to-head, then you make sure your brothers are there to keep it fair,” Bas ordered.

“Understood.”

He gave me a hard glare as if making sure I really did understand how serious he was. Then he slapped me on the back and headed out the door. No guesses needed to know where he was headed. Back to his mate. Same as I wanted to get back to mine. I was already planning how to convince her to come stay with Bee tonight while I was out.

Bee caught me outside the front door.

“Tell her I asked about her and can’t wait to meet her. Play up the no friends angle,” Bee encouraged, and it didn’t surprise me that she’d known what I planned.

“You have friends,” I countered.

She smiled. “Not of the female persuasion. Tell her. She’s already curious about me.” She paused suddenly then gripped my forearm tight. “Go now. Cut through the back. Don’t use the road. Hurry.” Her pupils were blown, the black overtaking her irises completely. “Hurry!” she ordered again, and I took off at a dead run.

I heard Simon shout something behind me, but the warning in Bee’s voice had me ignoring anything except the urge to get back to Rebel. I had to get to my mate. Fast.

* * * *

~Rebel~

I woke up alone and found Taylor’s note ordering me not to leave the house without him. I had to laugh. The man took overprotective to a new level. I debated a quick jump into the shower then opted to throw on clothes and head downstairs to search out breakfast instead. I liked the smell of him on my skin. It was comforting, as if he were right beside me. I was humming under my breath as I took the stairs with a hop in my step and almost lost my balance when I saw Benji Makers leaning against the wall.

“Miss me, sweetheart?” he leered, letting his gaze rake over me.

“How did you get in here?” I demanded, gaze bouncing around the room. I didn’t see anyone with him, but that didn’t mean they weren’t lurking around the corner, waiting to pop out when I wasn’t looking.

“It was just a matter of waiting for that brute you hooked up with to leave. We’ve been taking turns watching the house since you left the other night. Tsk-tsk, Rebel. I thought better of you than to leave someone bleeding on the floor.”

I glared at him. “Obviously, you didn’t bleed enough.”

“I waited for you.” He moved toward me, cornering me on the stairs. “You were meant to belong to me, the same way your mom does my dad. I was patient. Watching you run around town as if you didn’t have a clue what we were to each other. Do you know what it was like having Rowan Byrd tell me to leave you alone? As if you didn’t belong to me?”

“I’ve never belonged to you,” I told him.

“You’ve always belonged to me!” he screamed, spittle spraying from his mouth. He looked absolutely crazy.

“I always knew your wild ways would lead to stupid choices. But hooking up with one of the James Pack? That’s beyond stupid, even for you.”

“Taylor’s my mate, Benji.”

“You want that brute as a mate, fine. But be warned, Rebbie. Men like him don’t stay with women like you.”

“Women like me?” I growled, but Benji ignored me as if he hadn’t even heard my question.

“He’ll get bored and move on. If he’s lucky, you’ll be ready to move on first. Save him the trouble of having to get away from you. When that happens, who do you think you’ll come crawling back to, little girl?” He snickered, the sound grating on my ears.

“You’ve got to be high if you think I’d ever come sniffing around you,” I assured him. “I’ve never liked you. You’ve repulsed me from the first time I met you.”

“I’m going to enjoy getting you under me. I’ll fuck all that uppity out of you. Won’t think you’re too good once you’ve been broken in real good. Don’t worry. The boys’ll just watch until I get my fill.”

“You’re delusional.”

“And you’re a whore. Just like your whore mother.”

I launched myself at him, screaming like a banshee the whole way. I landed hard against his chest and took us both to the floor. We rolled, fighting for a position of dominance, neither of us giving an inch. My shirt ripped in the scuffle, and his nails dug into my flesh. The bastard liked using those claws on my skin. I kneed and scratched, fighting with all I had. There was no way I’d let Benji get me away from Taylor.

I’d been wrong before. I wasn’t falling in love with him. I was jumping in with both feet and sinking into the quagmire of love. I loved him. It didn’t matter if I’d known him a week or ten weeks or ten years. I loved him, and I needed to tell him.

Benji managed to get the upper hand, pinning me to the floor beneath him. I clawed at the hand he wrapped around my throat and struggled to suck in air as he pressed his thumbs against my windpipe. Not like this. I didn’t want to go out like this. My body buzzed with the need for oxygen. My vision faded, then with a roar, I was free. I choked and wheezed, coughing violently as I fought to remind my throat how to inhale.

I saw Taylor across the room, throwing around Benji as if he were a ragdoll. Another man dropped to his knees beside me and tried to help me sit up.

“Breathe, Rebbie. Come on. Breathe for me. If you don’t get those lungs working, Taylor’s really going to lose his shit, and I don’t feel like dying tonight. I’m Gabe, by the way. The third compadre to Simon and Taylor. Never thought he’d be the first of us to take a mate. Always thought it would be Simon. Of course, Simon might die tonight, too, if he tries to get between Taylor and that fuckwad your mate’s pounding on. Pardon the language.” He turned to look back toward where I heard Taylor fighting. “Shit. Call your mate, Rebbie. Quick or there’ll be nothing left of the little weasel he’s wailing on.”

“Taylor.” It was a croak, probably not much louder than a whisper, but it stopped him mid-swing. He let Benji hit the floor with a thud then scrambled across the distance to my side.

Gabe winked at me, then he and Simon hauled an unconscious Benji out between them, the door closing softly behind them.

“Are you okay?” Taylor asked, his hands all over me, checking every inch of my body while his gaze zeroed in on my throat. I didn’t need a mirror to know it was already bruising. “I’ll kill the motherfucker.”

“I think you already did,” I told him around a cough.

“The fucker was still breathing,” he muttered as he scooped me up into his arms. “Barely.”

He took the stairs two at a time, placing me on the bed before heading to the bathroom. He came back with a cool cloth and a glass of water.

“Put this on your neck,” he ordered, handing me the wet rag. I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to do, but it seemed important to him, so I took it. Then he held out the water. “Slow sips.”

I did as he bid, watching him the whole time. His bruised, bloodied hands shook. If anyone needed a cool compress, it was most likely him.

“I shouldn’t have left you,” he muttered.

“We don’t have to worry about Benji anymore,” I offered, but he only scowled.

“Never again, Rebel. I swear I’ll never let you out of my sight again.”

That didn’t sound good.

“Taylor, I’m fine.” I spoiled that vow with a harsh cough that deepened his scowl. There was only one thing I could say to get through to him right now. I cupped his face and leaned in. “Taylor, I love you.”

Wonder immediately filled his gaze.

“I love you,” I vowed. “You’re my mate, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“You’re mine,” he growled.

“Show me.” I reached for the hem of my shirt and tugged it over my head before he could stop me. His gaze fell to my chest before lifting to my face again. He paused on my throat. “I need you, Taylor. I can smell him on me.” I shuddered because I really could smell Benji’s stink on my skin.

He scooped me up again, and we were off to the shower. He stripped us both then moved us under the hot spray. It didn’t take much persuasion to have him coating me in his scent while we were still under the water. This time, when he laid me on the bed, he joined me and pulled me under him as he continued to love me. By the time I fell into an exhausted slumber, I was saturated in his scent.

Days ago, I’d been ready to run away in search of someplace where I could belong, where someone might love me instead of always judging me. I snuggled closer to Taylor’s side. Now, I knew I belonged here, with Taylor and the James Pack he called family. With a man who loved me, and a pack that was now my family. Finally, I belonged.

Epilogue

~Rebel~

Six Years Later

I stopped in the doorway and couldn’t contain my grin. Taylor sat cross-legged on the floor, having a tea party with our two daughters. Each of them wore a sparkly tiara, including my mate. Even better he was bare-chested and had somehow found a tutu to wear over his athletic shorts. Her face serious, Sophie was telling him something important, and he was giving her his total attention, much to our baby’s irritation.

Tessa kept tugging on his arm while whispering, “Daddy.” Taylor reached over and scooped her onto his lap and continued to listen to Sophie while Tessa rubbed her hands over his beard. My youngest had a fondness for that beard, just like her mama.

I leaned against the doorframe and took it in. The three most important people in my life. How had I gotten so lucky? My mate didn’t accept anything less than everything from me. That’s how. I counted my blessings every day.

“I gets to talk now,” Tessa demanded, waving her little hands at her big sister. “You gets to be quiet. I tells a stowy. Wight, Daddy. Is Tessa turn? Wight?”

“Why don’t we ask Mama?” he said and turned to smile at me. God, that smile melted me.

“Mama! Mama!”

Sophie flew around the table, arms wide as she came barreling into me. At five, she was a constant blur of motion. It was rare to see her sit for long. The only thing that seemed to hold her attention was her father. She was definitely a daddy’s girl.

While Sophie wrapped around me as if I’d been gone for days instead of an hour, Tessa took advantage of having her daddy to herself. She tugged his face to hers, resting her forehead against his and whispering what was probably nonsense. Taylor quietly said something back and tickled her, making her squirm as she giggled. He stood, sitting Tessa on his forearm as he headed toward me and Sophie.

“How’s my woman?” he asked as he leaned in to kiss me. Sophie made ew sounds while Tessa continued giggling.

“Missed you,” I murmured as Tessa reached for me.

“Miss me, Mama. Miss me, too.”

“Of course, I missed you, baby girl.”

Tessa slid from her father’s arms into mine. At three, she was the female version of her father, right down to his dark blue eyes. And like him, she had me wrapped around her little finger.

“Mama missed me, Soapy. She missed me most.”

Sophie shook her head and moved away to start twirling around the room in her tutu.

“I wanna dance, too. Me! Me, too!”

I set Tessa on her feet, and she took off after her sister, doing her best to mirror all of Sophie’s twirls. Taylor pulled me against his chest.

“How’d the appointment go?”

I glanced up and smiled, nodding my head softly.

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” I told him.

“Hell, yeah!” he yelled and lifted me against his chest.

“Hell! Hell!” Tessa parroted, making us both laugh.

“Maybe, this one will be a boy,” I whispered.

“And miss out on another beautiful, little girl?” Taylor admonished.

“A healthy baby,” I said. “In another six and a half months.”

He dropped his hand and cupped my belly. He was so overprotective when I was pregnant. Which was saying something considering how overprotective he was period.

“It’s raining! Daddy, it’s raining!” Sophie came flying back toward us with Tessa at her heels.

“Quick,” Taylor urged. “Everyone outside.”

It was our family ritual. Dancing in the rain. I remembered when Taylor had told me he loved the idea of dancing in the rain with me. It had been flattering, but I had taken it as more of an ideal than something he wanted to do. Then, the first time it rained, he’d taken me outside and danced with me under the night sky. And when the song in his head had finished, he’d proceeded to lie me down on the damp grass and make love to me. Every time it rained after that, we’d both shared a look and headed outside. Then, after Sophie was born, we’d gone outside with her, dancing and laughing. Then we’d added Tessa. I dropped my hands to my belly. Soon we’d add another child to our wild, crazy family.

Taylor held his hand out to me and tugged me into him as the girls ran around like loons, giggling and laughing. He wrapped me against his body and bent his head down to mine. Rain washed over us, and a bolt of lightning lit the sky, illuminating us in its light.

“I love you, wild woman.”

“I love you,” I whispered back as small hands found ours, tugging us into their merry dance. This was the home we’d made. The smiles and laughter. The pure joy of being together.

Taylor caught my eye and winked as he scooped a girl under each arm and carried them back toward the house. I couldn’t help appreciating his ass in those shorts and tutu. He sat our daughters on their feet, and they both headed toward the bathroom for the second part of our rain dance ritual. Warm baths. Taylor held the door for me.

“Is it wrong that I’m already thinking of having you all to myself in bed later?” I asked as I passed him. I glanced over my shoulder, meeting his smoldering gaze. “Wearing only that tutu.”

His chuckle had my nipples pebbling and my channel growing slick.

“Oh, that can most definitely be arranged, mate,” he vowed.

I looked forward to it.

About the Author

Lacey is a hyper blonde, bouncing through life with her magical bracelets of positivity. A die-hard gamer (she refuses to call it an addiction), she resides in Oklahoma, mom to three awesome children, one mini goldendoodle, and a black cat. She has a passion for life and romance. She writes possessive, alpha heroes who demand everything from the women they love. Her stories reflect her strong family ties, friendships that showcase how some family consists of those we choose, and a goofy sense of humor that helps keep her laughing through all life’s ups and downs.

She loves to chat with anyone and often does to the annoyance of her children who are always in a hurry. If you want to talk books, television, movies, actors, World of Warcraft, prepping for the zombie apocalypse, or music (she loves music!), drop her a line at laceythorn2007@gmail.com.

Lacey’s Booklist

Knight's Watch Series

Prequel: Beautiful Dreamer

Jagged Hearts

Craving Sin

The Billionaire’s Knight

Something More Series (Previously Girls Night Out Series)

More Than One Night (Previously Jack's Dee-Light)

More Than Friends (Previously What Friends Are For)

More Than I Do (Previously Marital Bliss)

Awakening Pride Series

Waking the Beast

Tempting the Tiger

Freeing the Feline

Saving the Beast

A Jaguar's Touch

The Liger's Mark

Unleashing the Beast

Eyes on the Pride

Cry of the Pride

Awakening Pride: The Holloways

His to Bear (comes between The Liger's Mark and Unleashing the Beast)

Claimed by the Grizzly

Rumble and Growl

Kodiak’s Heart

Pleasures Series

The Greyson Sisters Trilogy:

Cuffed for Pleasure

Heated for Pleasure

SEALed for Pleasure

Pleasures Anthology: The Greyson Sisters

The Angel Investigations Trilogy

Guarded for Pleasure

Roped for Pleasure

Arranged for Pleasure

Pleasures Anthology: Angel Investigations

The Foster Sisters Trilogy

Cured by Pleasure

Faithful in Pleasure

Agents of Pleasure

Pleasures Anthology: The Foster Sisters (coming soon)

Stand Alone Pleasures Stories

Bewitched for Pleasure

Hammered with Pleasure

Wrapped in Pleasure

James Pack Series

Alpha's Unwilling Mate

Beta's Virgin Bride

Wolf’s Wild Woman

Bare Love Series

His Bare Obsession

Bare Confessions

Bare Seduction

Stand Alone Books

Chaps and Lace

Finding Home

Grave Magic

Santa Maybe

One Good Man (with Cindy Spencer Pape)