3: Fera - Pack City (14 page)

“Try and forget what you think you know. And consider this--Humans are being selectively culled, bitten, added to the race of the garou.”

“But that’s...unnatural. Hood, of all people, is against that.”

“He sure talks the talk, doesn’t he?” Jack smiled, then, and added, “Sweetheart, I’m telling you, there’s a secret organization within Lobos that is breeding a new, stronger race. A genetically enhanced, random code widening the gene pool--eliminating the losers by strengthening the DNA. You’re a product of a union between a garou and a bitten.”

“But--”

“Always, the garou must be wolf born. Or the random code gets screwed up. Lines up wrong. Stacks the brain cells on top of each other. Thus, the rogue unnaturals that you all fear.”

It was too much to take in. My brother, the great supremacist, was actually a revolutionary in genetic engineering? Why had he preached so hard to me, when I had the ability to help in the very experiments that he seemed so involved in?

Chapter Thirteen

“Why did Hood go to such elaborate lengths to have me bred and disgraced?” I didn’t understand. “Why not take me into the city, introduce us normally?”

Jack waited a minute before forcing himself to relax, to smile, and ask, “You think you would have fallen for me without the added intrigue?”

“Yes,” I frowned. “No.” Confused, I said, “Maybe.” Who could know? Why had Hood not confided in me?

Before I realized it, Jack had led me to the sofa, had me down on it, and was stroking the back of my neck, helping me to relax, too. My brain was stuttering through all that he’d told me.

I asked, “How did he pick you?”

Jack shrugged, grinned. “You’ll have to ask him, but I don’t think your brother is at liberty.”

I squinted up at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“I happened to overhear some of his long range plans.”

“Where?”

“At Lobos.”

“No. Hood works for Mark Wolf Enterprises.”

“Which is a subsidiary of Lobos.” He clarified, “I don’t think your brother is really at liberty to detail all he does.”

“So what were you doing there, before you were bit?”

Jack laughed then, leaned back, looked up at the ceiling. There was a fan above us, lazily spinning, keeping the air from feeling stagnant. “I thought I was doing a demo on tri-athalon fitness. Possibly working up a commercial deal for that new protein drink they’re peddling.”

My mind hooked on the tri-athalon part. “You’re an Olympian?” I’d heard about them, but never seen one. Many of the garou in Pack City followed the Olympics. Now I knew why it fascinated them so. Possible breeders?

Jack’s hand kept up its deep tissue massage. I could feel the stress leaving my body, virtually melting out of me. And his voice, closer to my ear, soft, sexy, sensual, asked, “That’s where my stamina comes from. Hours of training.”

It made me giggle.

Holy shit. He had me again. Trusting him, wanting him to hold me. Thinking about how many times we’d done it already. Not noticing at the time--just how fast he moved. Blink of an eye fast. Unbelievable reflexes. Total knowledge of the pressure points of a body.

I asked suddenly, “What the hell happened last night? I think I’m missing things.”

“First crinos is like that.”

“How would you know? How long have you been changing?”

“Long enough.”

I hated the runaround. I bit my lower lip, “What happened while I was delirious?”

He chuckled. “Ah. Now you want me to talk dirty to you.”

I started to say no, then stuttered, and shut my lips. But a second later, I accused, “You let the losers watch?”

“I was a little wrapped up in the event. You could say that you had me totally enthralled.”

“But--”

“You were a bitch in heat, all over me, and I had no will to protest.”

“Still--”

His lips were on my collarbone. “Still,” he kissed me, “Some things, things I know are not anything to worry about, are not more important enough to stop my lovemaking...with you.” That whole spiel was punctuated with multiple tiny kisses all across my collarbone.

I pushed him away. He was making it hard to think. Hard to stay mad. “Don’t tell me that you fucked me with an audience, and it didn’t turn you on more.”

He chuckled. “I never would say something like that.”

“So, what did they do?”

“Hm?” He frowned, drew back, then shrugged, “Beat their own sticks while they watched, I think. But that’s just a guess. I really wasn’t watching them.”

“Why can’t I remember?”

“Too heavenly,” he suggested with a smirk. “Or too...insanely phenomenal that your brain has relegated the memory to another realm?”

That made me laugh. “You’re full of yourself.”

“My new position at Lobos has me a little self-impressed.”

“What is it?”

“Top breeder.”

The oafish grin on his face should have tipped me off that he was teasing me. But, honestly, I pretty much felt my heart stop. Break, actually. Visions of him doing the gigolo act all across the world, flying in, fucking the world, traveling on--rushed my brain.

How many times can a heart shatter and be put together?

It was a cruel joke. It scared me. Instead of laughing, like I think he wanted me to do, I choked out, “So, who’s next on your list. Do I know the lucky girl?”

That made him blink. Putting his nose right up to mine, he said, “Fera, you and I are the top choice for an offspring. Lobos is counting on us to prove their point, to strengthen the lines.”

“So, all my worries about Hood slitting me open...”

“Made it easier for me to extricate you, for him to put on the hunt without loss of pride. Kept other mutts off of you until I was able to come for you.”

“How long will it go on, this hunt?”

“How long will it take for you to give me children?”

“What if I don’t want to have babies? Or if I can’t?”

At that moment, I had a desperate need to confide in a female. To word my fears to Kayty. To get some direction, hear some motherly advice. I knew she wouldn’t judge me.

And she was pregnant. She could help me through the ordeal ahead of me.

Frankly, I hated the focus our kind had on procreation, and purification. I hated the idea of being a laboratory rat. I asked Jack, “How do you feel, to be pulled into this whole thing?”

“I should lie. I should say that I’m thrilled to fuck a princess, to father her children, but honestly, it’s been hard to work through.”

I didn’t expect that kind of straight up truth.

“But?”

“But I’m an Olympian, Fera. I’d rather stand on the top block than not stand at all.”

Okay. I readjusted on the sofa, so I could face him. “So, when the losers caught you, you were totally not expecting that. It wasn’t part of the plan.”

“I don’t think so.”

“But you used them.” I put a hand to Jack’s cheek, “What block are you aiming for now?”

Jack kissed me. “Sweetheart, they picked us for prom king and queen. The least we can do is oblige them by stepping up to rule the kingdom. What do you say?”

“You don’t mean...Pack City.”

“No.”

“The world?”

“One rung at a time.” He kissed me. “One rung at a time, sweetheart.” He kissed me again.

Call me crazy, but the thrill of his sureness that we could do it had me going for it. Going for him. Diving onto his body, pressing him back with the fervor of my acceptance.

It took him all of about two seconds to grab a hold of my breasts and squeeze. To free his lips and ask, “Then, you’re with me?”

I tried my hand at teasing. “You sure you want me as your queen?”

He rolled me off onto the floor, freed himself from the pants he had on, just undid the closure, slid his cock inside me and asked, “Is there any doubt?”

Closing my eyes, I murmured with pleasure, “Mm. You may have to convince me.” But then, I had to bite my bottom lip, because he was very thorough, and very serious in his convincing. All I could do is hang on, wait for our explosions. Or implosions. Furious proving. Definitive depth plummeting. Satiating end all.

A thought struck me, as I curled up against his chest later. “Alpha female, Jack. Not queen.”

I felt his chest rumble. I knew he was amused. I propped myself up, looked down at him, “And I need some clothes if I’m going to live in this city.”

“We’re going to have to move around a lot, I think. Hood’s obligated to put up a good effort at hunting us down.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “In fact, we have a plane to catch pretty soon.” Getting up, he led me to the shower. That was an experience...in Olympian stamina.

I rubbed soap all over him a few times. All under. In every crack. Around every...thing. And then he did it to me. Talk about your sensual experience. I loved it when he ran the soap over my midriff while he rubbed against my back with his body.

But this is funny...I dropped the soap on purpose, got down on my hands and knees to find it. We had a lot of suds. And, for the first time ever, he said, “I don’t know if I can do this.”

Too big for the tub, and that position at the same time. Ever do it on the bathroom floor, all sudsed up?

Doggy style like that is a bitch. Your knees slip. You slide. You get giggling.

He gets laughing, trying to smooth the bubbles off of you, trying to hold you in place. That’s the great thing about Jack; he laughs a lot and he gets a grip when he needs to.

Never say die.