Betrayed (Wolf Gatherings Book 6) (13 page)

Heather swatted his chest with her palm.

He lifted her chin to see her eyes. “I know it’s soon, but I’m falling in love with you. It’s not just the mating.”

She smiled at him. “Too late. I was already in love with you the moment you nudged me with your wet snout in that field. The look in those brown eyes took my breath away. I may have been dazed from the snake bite, but the concern and total fear in your gaze melted my heart.”

He wrapped her in both arms and held her tight. How was he ever going to leave her here to infiltrate the Romulus?

•●•

A light rap at the front door dragged Marcus from sleep. He tipped his head to find his mate snuggled against him, a peaceful expression on her face.

The knocking sounded again. He had to get up.

As he eased himself out from under his mate, he groaned. He reached for his jeans, pulled them on, and tugged on the zipper. He didn’t bother to button the top.

In only a few strides he was at the front door, opening it to find Drake on the porch. “Sorry, man.”

Marcus nodded, running a hand through his hair. As much as he hated to admit it, there were far more important things happening than his need to fuck like a rabbit.

“Ralph Jerard, Alex Marshall, and Evan Harmon will be here in an hour. Dad wanted me to come tell you.”

Marcus nodded. “I’ll be there.”

Drake stepped away quickly, a smirk on his face. It was no secret newly mated couples couldn’t resist each other, and Drake could not have forgotten that detail in the year since he’d met his mate.

With a soft snick, Marcus shut the door and returned to his mate. He found her pulling herself to sitting. “Why does sex make me so tired? What time is it?”

Marcus glanced at the clock. “One.” He was starving, and she had to be also. He couldn’t resist approaching her, though. He pulled her to the side of the bed and held her face with both hands to kiss her deeply. He moaned into her mouth. “I wish we had more time.”

“I wish you’d abandon this entire idea and stay with me.”

He set his forehead against hers. “I know. But we only have an hour right now. We need to head to the main house so I can meet with Jerard and his men.”

Heather lowered her hand down his body, dipped her fingers inside his jeans, and stroked his cock. “An hour is a long time.”

“It is.” He spread her legs with both hands and nestled between them. “Far more time than we need.” He chuckled. At the rate they were going at it, they managed to come every time they got near each other within moments, almost without provocation.

Marcus pulled her closer, until her ass barely balanced on the edge of the mattress. He leaned in until the zipper of his jeans rubbed her pussy, making her moan.

Every time he took her, she loosened up more. Whatever hesitation she had about fully giving herself over to him was dissipating.

He kissed her, holding her face with both hands and melting her with his tongue against her own.

She wrapped her legs around his thighs, pressing her pussy against his jeans.

He needed to be inside her, and he needed more dominance this time. He thought she was ready. Releasing her lips, he eased out of her embrace.

She didn’t protest. After all, what more were they going to accomplish with his jeans on?

As soon as he wiggled the denim down his legs and stepped out, he grabbed her waist and flipped her around so fast, she squealed. “What the…?”

He nudged her forward on all fours and climbed up behind her. “I want to take you from behind this time, okay?” He stroked her hair off her neck so he could see her face as she twisted it back to look at him.

She swallowed and nodded, her ass pushing back toward him.

Marcus set one hand on her back and nudged her knees apart with one of his. He stroked her folds with his free hand until she writhed, wiggling so much he couldn’t maintain any particular contact. He removed his fingers and pressed on her ass. “Lie down, baby.”

She twisted her neck back to look at him again. “Flat?”

“Yep.” He gently applied pressure to her lower back. “Lie on your stomach.” It was the only way he could think to keep her from squirming so much.

His cock bobbed in front of him as he watched her comply. At the last second, he grabbed a pillow and stuffed it under her belly. For a minute, he simply caressed her skin, up and down her back and across her ass cheeks. “Spread your legs for me, baby.”

She inched her knees apart one at a time, and he crawled between her spread legs to keep them open.

With one hand on her lower back once again, he used the other hand to stroke through her folds and dip into her warmth. “Baby, you’re so ready for me already.” He didn’t know why he was surprised. His cock felt close to exploding without any contact.

He couldn’t hold back another second, so he lowered himself between her legs and lined his cock up with her entrance. As he pressed into his mate, surrounding himself with her tight sheath, he groaned. He held still for several heartbeats, leaning down to encompass her entire body with his, his chest against her back, his hands moving up her arms until he threaded her fingers with his above their heads.

And then he eased out of her, teeth tightly gritted. No way could he keep this slow. When Heather lifted her torso into his thrust, he sped up his motions, fucking her fast and hard, squeezing her fingers in his grip and nuzzling her neck with his face.

He groaned into the curve of her neck as he reached the edge of sanity. “Come with me, Heather.”

She stiffened, her body telling him she was right with him, and he let go, his release coming so fast he couldn’t stop it. He continued to thrust into her as she came around his cock, until they were both spent. Without withdrawing, he let the bulk of his weight relax against his mate, knowing he was too heavy for her but loving the way she felt enveloped by his entire frame.

“You’re smashing me,” she finally muttered into the pillow.

He eased off reluctantly, letting his cock pop from her warmth and dragging his body to her side.

“Oh God,” she said again into the pillow. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

“I hope not. I like having you around.” He playfully swatted her ass. “I hate to say this, but we have to shower and get to the main house.”

She flinched. “I don’t think I can stand, let alone bathe.”

Marcus kissed her ass again and tugged her to the edge of the bed. “I’ll make you a sandwich while you shower and then trade you places.”

She groaned. “I’d rather you joined me.”

He smiled. “Me too, baby, but we’d never make it out of this cabin if I did.”

•●•

Thirty minutes later, Heather settled against her mate’s side as they walked toward the main house.

Nerves ate a hole in her. Whatever was going to happen in this meeting, she knew she wasn’t going to like it. The last thing in the world she wanted was for Marcus to leave and travel halfway across the country to pretend to cater to his grandfather. If anyone got wind of his lie, she knew they would kill him. Kin or not.

They entered through the back door, but voices in the living room told Heather several people were already gathered before they entered the house.

Sure enough, she recognized the leader of The Head Council, Ralph Jerard, easily. The other two men had to be Alex Marshall and Evan Harmon.

Jerard stood. He held out a hand to Marcus and smiled. “So good to meet you. I recognize you now. You look a lot like your father and grandfather.”

Marcus took his hand. “On the outside. But I can assure you, sir, I’m nothing like them on the inside.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” He motioned toward the man who stood at his side. “This is my assistant, Alex Marshall.”

Marcus shook his hand.

The younger man rose from his seat also. “Evan Harmon.”

“Marcus Cunningham. Nice to meet you.” They shook hands also, and then Marcus introduced Heather. “This is my mate, Heather. She was one of the women rescued last month in the sting.”

Heather shook hands with all three men, and they all took a seat. Jerome, Drake, Natalie, and Scott were also there. Several chairs had been brought in from the kitchen.

Jerard began. “First of all, let me thank you for coming forward with this invaluable information. I knew we had a mole. I just didn’t know who it was. No wonder the Romulus was always one step ahead of us. If Melvin was feeding them information almost before we shared it, we didn’t stand a chance.

“I’ve been communicating with Evan for months on a private cell, but fat lot of good it did if Melvin listened in. I knew we had an insider, I just hoped it wasn’t one of the other four head elders.”

“Have you confronted him, sir?” Marcus asked.

Jerard shook his head vehemently. “No. And I’m not going to. We need to discuss this and come up with a plan. I don’t want him getting wind we’re on to him. That could become valuable eventually. Tell me everything you know. I got the story from Jerome, but I want to hear it again in your words.”

Heather listened intently as Marcus retold the tale of his childhood and everything he’d been through since he’d started taking strange drugs. It didn’t get easier listening to it a second time. She ached for him. For the boy mistreated with no champion on his side. She hoped she never had to meet his parents. She couldn’t imagine being polite.

Suddenly Marcus slapped his leg. “I’ve got it.” He’d finished his story, and they were brainstorming about what to do next. “I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to reinsert myself. I’ve been gone a month. I couldn’t come up with an explanation that sounded feasible.”

“What then?” Jerome asked.

Heather held her breath as Marcus responded, “I met my mate.”

“So?” Evan leaned forward.

“I can’t very well return without telling them that anyway. They would sense it immediately. So, I go back, and my excuse for disappearing without mention is I met my mate. A month ago instead of two days ago.”

Jerard scratched his chin. “It could work.”

Heather groaned inwardly, realizing her plan to never make the acquaintance of his family just flew out the window. “So we return together.”

Marcus flinched and twisted to look at her. “No.” He shook his head. “No way. Not willing to put you in the line of danger.”

Everyone seemed to hold their breaths.

Heather waited for him to think.

Jerome spoke first. “She’s right. Why else would you return home except to show off your new mate?”

Marcus visibly swallowed. He turned his gaze back to the group. “So we come up with another plan. I’m not taking Heather.”

Heather’s face burned. She wasn’t sure if she was angry with his highhanded command or flattered he cared so much.

She went with pissed. She stood, releasing the grip she had on his arm. “It’s not your decision to make. If I’m willing to put myself at risk, you can’t stop me.”

Marcus jerked his gaze toward her, shock evident in his wide gaze.

Good. He needed to know what it felt like for his mate to walk into the face of danger.

“Heather—”

She shook her head. “No. I’m not kidding. It’s a solid plan. I hate it as much as you do. The last thing I want to do is make nice and smile at your misguided parents, but if you insist on going back, I’m going with you. You need a plausible explanation for where you’ve been. And you’ll need to agree to go to that damn facility willingly with your grandfather and gather intel. Unless one of you can come up with a better plan ASAP, I’m in as deep as you.”

Silence.

Marcus visibly breathed hard. He swallowed.

No one interrupted.

“What? No better ideas, mutt?” She set her hands on her hips.

Drake chuckled.

Jerard laughed. “That’s rich. Love to hear the backstory on that one.”

Marcus didn’t stop piercing her with his gaze.

Jerome cleared his throat. “Let’s discuss this rationally.”

Heather didn’t think rational was in Marcus’s vocabulary right then. Clearly, what applied to him didn’t extend to her.

Marcus held out a hand toward Heather. “Please. Sit back down.”

She eased onto the couch next to him, but she didn’t take his extended hand.