Betraying the Pack (17 page)

They met in a heavy clash of
bodies that made the old Bailey want to cower, but made the new one thirst for
blood. And vengeance.

Because of this Lycan prick,
and others, she’d been abducted, hunted, and terrified. No more. It stopped
now.

I’m done hiding and being frightened. It’s time they learned to leave
me alone. That I will not give up without a fight.

She just wished the path to
tranquility wasn’t so bloody. Eeew.

Parker couldn’t believe it when
Bailey stayed and finally embraced her beast. Even more amazing, she remained to
fight alongside him. Not that he needed her aid, but he’d never tell her that,
not given the courage she displayed with her actions.

Pride made him howl as he took
out the rogues who’d interrupted their mating tryst. Stupid, ill-timed
bastards. Another fifteen minutes, tops, and he would have claimed Bailey as
his own.

More annoying, once he took
care of these upstarts, he’d have to go back to warn Gavin, Nathan, and the
others, his chance to resume where they’d left off irrevocably lost. It made
him vicious, and in short order he and Bailey were the only wolves standing.

Parker called up his human
half, but when he looked at Bailey—her coat a curly black like her hair—she
whined.

“Poor baby. Is your wolf not
ready to go back in its cage? I warned you this would happen.”

A chuckle he couldn’t help made
her glare at him and bare some teeth. It made him laugh harder, her cuteness
always multiplying when she got riled. A shift in the wind made Parker lift his
head to sniff audibly. “Looks like the cavalry is about to arrive.”

A six-pack of wolves burst into
the clearing, Gavin vying with Nathan for the lead. In moments, Gavin stood
before him, along with Nathan, surveying the bloody remains.

“He dares send rogues inside my
compound!” Nathan’s low roar vibrated with power, an alpha trait that made
Parker’s ears ache. “Fan out. Search these woods. I want to know if there are
more of them. And if you find some, bring me one alive.” Nathan’s body heaved
with repressed fury as he clenched at his sides.

“What about Bailey?” Parker
asked.

Gavin answered him from his
knees as he stroked her, nuzzling her face with his own while Wyatt, still in
his wolf shape, paced alongside. “Take her back to the house and guard her.”
His friend then winked. “Good job getting her to go furry. I don’t envy being
in your shoes, though, when she turns back.”

Judging by Bailey’s drooping
ears, she didn’t either. Parker quickly dressed in his tattered pants, not one
to walk around nude unless it was necessary, although given the gaping rents,
he had to wonder if he showed more than he hid.

The wolves, who’d arrived too
late for battle, took off again, Wyatt in the lead, except for Nathan and Gavin,
who knelt by the bodies to examine them further.

Seeing no need for them to
remain any further, Parker left. Striding into the woods, Bailey trotted
alongside him. Despite her current form, he still spoke to her as if she would
answer.

“That was a real brave thing
you did back here, baby. But I’ll tell you it just about scared the life out of
me.”

A snuffling noise came from her
wolf.

“Yeah, scoff all you want. When
I wanted you to embrace your wolf, I meant as a part of you, not so you could put
yourself in danger. It’s our job to protect you.”

That earned him a sideways
glare.

Parker chuckled. “What am I
going to do with you, baby? You are so bloody cute and stubborn. I sure wish we
hadn’t gotten interrupted. I was sure looking forward to sinking into your
sweet little body and having you claim me as mate.”

Her head butted his hand, and
he stroked her between the ears.

“I take it you’re kind of sad
too. Well, there’s probably still enough time before the others get back from
the search of the woods. That is if you can figure out how to swap shapes
again. Or are you going to wait until your wolf does that for you again too?”
He threw the taunt intentionally and waited.

Sure enough, she stopped in her
tracks and, with a mournful howl, switched bodies. She remained on her hands
and knees for a moment, panting, the pain of her change slowly receding, before
raising her face to fix him with a triumphant smirk.

“Ha! See? I can do it. I just
choose not to.”

And with those saucy words, she
stood and began to walk away, then stopped dead, her head cocked in thought. Parker
caught up, scooped her up, and continued walking.

She struggled in his grasp. “Put
me down. We need a plan.”

“A plan for what?” he asked,
distracted by the soft, naked curves in his arms.

“We can’t go back like this!”

“But I like you like this,” he
retorted, squeezing her to his nude chest. A good thing he’d taken the time to
put on his pants even if they were somewhat splattered with blood, and holey,
else he’d be striding along with a hard-on in full view. Actually, given the
broken zipper, chances were something showed.

It delighted him that she still
blushed. “I’m sure you do like me like this, but you can’t just go walking into
the village with me naked in your arms.”

“Why not?”

A heavy sigh escaped her.
“Because I’m naked.”

“Trust me. No one will bat an
eye. Lycans, remember? Nudity is a common sight around here. Sometimes our
clothes don’t survive a sudden transition. Or we change from our wolves to our
fleshy selves while still in the woods. Now, if you were to arrive, though,
wearing a bush or some leaves like some kind of forest nymph, that would get
you noticed.”

“I really hate arguing with you
guys.”

“Then don’t,” he replied with a
grin. “Did I forget to mention wolves are stubborn?”

She just snorted again and then
buried her face in his chest, not lifting it until they’d made it inside their
house safely. He brought her straight into the bathroom with its large stall
shower.

Parker let her slide down his
body slowly, loving the sensual friction of her soft skin against his. Leaning
around her, he turned on the tap, letting the water warm up. Her small hands
went to his pants, tugged down the ruined fabric, and Parker swallowed hard as
his cock sprang forth, ready and thick for her.

“You know, when I read ‘Little
Red Riding Hood’ as a little girl, I never expected one day I’d have the chance
to say, ‘My what a big cock you have,’” she murmured, stroking his length with
the tip of one finger.

His reply emerged hoarse. “All
the better to love you with.”

“Do you?” she asked, raising
her gaze to his face.

He cupped her visage with his
hands. “More and more each day.”

A smile spread across her face,
and he caught a hint of moisture in her eyes. “I love you too.”

“Oh, baby.” He forwent words to
lift her up and crush her mouth against his. Despite the strength of his hug,
she didn’t flinch from his passion, and embraced him back with an urgency that
awed him. He stepped into the shower with her, his hands still spanning her
waist, and he dunked them under the needling spray.

The cascading water sluiced
down their bodies, washing the grime of their adventure away, but even better,
it left them slippery. The slide of skin against skin made Parker rumble with
pleasure, but he wanted more than a sensual tease. He set her down and then
dropped to his knees before her, a supplicant looking to worship the haven of
her flesh. Angling one of her thighs over his shoulder, he exposed her
glistening cleft to his view, and she steadied herself by digging her fingers
into his scalp. Then he found nirvana.

Leaning forward, he swiped his
tongue across her, loving how she shuddered and a moan vibrated through her
body. He licked again, and again, unable to resist the taste of her. She
shivered against the wall, her panting cries urging him on. He thrust a blunt
finger into her sex while he plied her clit, and his cock jerked at her
response. Her pussy clung to his digit tightly, the wet suction a precursor for
what he’d feel when he sank into her.

Above him she gasped and made
her demand clear. “Bite me. Claim me, Parker.”

Her sweet plea nearly undid
him, and he buried his face against her thigh for a moment to control himself.

Her fingers stroked gently
across his scalp.

“Make me yours, Parker.
Please.”

Only a foolish man would deny
her request, and he was anything but a fool. He kissed the smooth skin of her
thigh before opening his mouth wide. His wolf was ready, dropping down his
incisors and sinking them into her flesh, claiming her. She keened, her hips
thrusting forth as he sucked at the blood that oozed from his mating wound. He
took just enough for the ritual, then stood. When he would have lifted her to
plow her sex, she surprised him. Dropping to her knees, she grasped him and
shot him a sultry smile before bending her head.

Parker let out a hoarse shout
as she took the head of his cock into her mouth, sucking at him, drawing him deep
and suctioning tightly. He fisted a hand in her hair, unable to resist guiding
her motion, setting them into a rhythm that had his balls tightening and his
cock swelling almost painfully.

“Now,” he whispered. “Oh God,
baby. Take me now before I lose it.”

With a final wet suck, she
released him and latched onto his thigh, biting into the flesh, drawing his
essence into her mouth. Parker roared as the binding completed between them
with an almost thunderous clap.

Dazed, but still hard and
needing to feel her flesh around him, he manhandled her until she bent over in
front of him, her delectable bottom pushed up and spread. He couldn’t help
running a hand down her silken slit, and she shuddered.

“Now. Take me now, Parker. Oh God,
I need you.”

They were the sweetest words he’d
ever heard moaned. Parker speared her with his length, a firm thrust that
seated him inside her and made her cry out. The flesh of her channel squeezed
around him, and Parker’s head went back at the blissful feel of her. Hands on
her hips, he began to pump, sheathing himself in and out of her, the juices of
her passion easing his passage, even though her muscles kept tightening
convulsively around him. The curve of her buttocks slammed nicely back into his
groin as he took her in the way he’d dreamed of so many sleepless nights. Of
course, his imagination hadn’t done justice to the reality.

A ripple went through her as he
continued to seesaw into her welcoming flesh. She screamed as her orgasm shook
her, the tremors of it fisting him in tumultuous waves. With a bellow, Parker
shot his seed into her, his body arched and his head thrown back. He held his
position, deeply seated within her, until the shaking subsided. He never wanted
to leave, but it wasn’t just about his wants and needs, not anymore. Still
panting, and awestruck, he let his dick slip from her, and he pulled upright so
he could hold her cradled against his chest.

“I love you, Bailey,” he
murmured, his heart so full of this woman.

“My Parker, my mate,” she
replied possessively, hugging him tight. “Thank you.”

A chuckle made his chest rumble
as they stood in the pouring water of the shower.
Only my sweet baby would thank me after the gift she bestowed upon me.
He
loved her even more.

Nervousness made her pace and
gnaw at her nails, while Parker, a content look on his face and his eyes
hooded, watched her from his position on the couch.

“They’re going to be fine,” he
reiterated.

Still, she worried. While she
and her newest mate had returned more than two hours ago, made love twice, and
even eaten, they’d yet to hear word on the others. Fear over their safety
comprised part of her anxiety, but the other part of her angst she blamed on
fear. She’d claimed Parker, her gentle giant, but how would Wyatt and Gavin
react? And Jaxon, would he get angry at being the only one left?

The raucous noise of their
return preceded their entrance into the house, Jaxon leading the cacophony with
his usual humor. Gavin strode over to her and kissed her first, followed by
Wyatt. Then, Jaxon tried to sneak a smooch, but ended up tripped by Gavin and
missing. Covering her mouth lest she laugh at his chagrin, she then watched
wide-eyed as her first two mates went over and shook Parker’s hand.

“Congrats, brother. About time
she made up her mind,” Gavin said.

“Well, we already knew she had
good taste when she chose me,” Wyatt replied.

Bailey shook her head, not quite
sure how they’d guessed without her telling, but then again, it was hard to
miss the satisfaction evident on Parker’s face. Sneaking a glance at Jaxon, she
noted he didn’t appear angry or hurt, just wistful, a fleeting look that
disappeared under a lopsided grin.

“So what’s for dinner? Other
than pie,” he added with a lascivious wink that made her blush, and her lovers
bristle.

As they all sat down to eat
some leftovers slapped into sandwiches, Bailey listened avidly as the boys
caught her up on the hunt. It seemed the rogues had penetrated in two areas. She
and Parker had taken care of one invasion, while several squads of wolves
tracked down the other set who had escaped, and took care of them.

Not satisfied, Nathan made the
squads of Lycans do another sweep of the compound and the surrounding area,
looking for evidence of more. Despite finding nothing, Nathan ordered increased
round-the-clock patrols of the perimeter and was bumping up the number of
guards walking the boundary from two to four.

Unease made Bailey toy with her
food, but no one called her on it. When the others cleared the table, Wyatt
stayed behind and fixed her with his dark gaze.

“What’s up, sunshine?”

Dropping her gaze, she traced
the wooden grain of the tabletop. “Nothing,” she muttered.

She heard his chair go sliding
back on the floor with a screech, and a moment later, he knelt at her side,
peering up at her. “Don’t lie to me.”

“This is because of me,” she
whispered.

“What makes you think that?”

“I’m not stupid. Even I can
make the connection. Rogues keep coming after me. Roderick controls them. It’s
obvious he wants me. Heck, he wants me bad enough he’s attacking the compound.
And he’s not going to stop until he gets me.”

Wyatt dragged her off the chair
and snuggled her in his lap, his arms banded around her.

“Never. He’s never going to get
his hands on you. Do you understand me? I will protect you with my life before
I allow that. We all will.”

“But what if he keeps coming?
People are going to get hurt.”

“Not if we take care of Roderick
first.”

“What are you saying? Are you
planning something?” She peppered him with frantic questions, but Wyatt didn’t
answer further, despite how much she prodded.

The next few days, everyone
acted like nothing was the matter, but she could feel an undercurrent around
her. Her lessons with Parker continued, but changed to a safer locale, the
forest deemed off-limits to everyone until the rogue situation got resolved. Fear
hung heavily in the air. The men never came out and said she was in danger, but
she noticed how they did their best to keep her within the main part of the
compound—and never left her alone. Worse, they kept secrets. And the subterfuge
didn’t just involve her men. Even Dana could only shrug when Bailey questioned
her on what was afoot.

The only conclusion to draw
from the avoidance of her questions, and the whispers out of hearing, was that
they didn’t trust her. Knowing how little they thought of her depressed and
upset her, which in turn made her sick to her stomach. She started to dream, if
you could call the nightmares she woke from shaking and sweaty something so
gentle. She couldn’t recall what had terrified her so when she woke whimpering
or crying, and each time, one of her three lovers would hold her in his arms
and croon softly to her until she fell back asleep.

Despite their attempts at
normalcy and their evident affection, she withdrew into herself. But only for
so long before frustration made her snap.

She confronted Gavin a week
after the attack, unable to handle it anymore. “What’s going on?”

A shuttered look came over his
face. “Nothing.”

The lie hit her like a kick to
the stomach. “You don’t trust me, do you?” she accused.

“Of course I trust you,” he
replied, but he didn’t look her in the eye when he said it, his taut frame reinforcing
the lie. She whirled to run from him, tears flooding her eyes.

He caught her and spun her back
into his chest. “Darling, please. I trust
you
.
I do, but remember those five days you lost, the ones you can’t recall?”

She sniffed against his chest and
nodded.

“Nathan’s afraid—actually,
we’re all concerned—that Roderick might have done something to you. Planted
some kind of seed or ability to spy in your mind.”

The words took a moment to
filter. “You think I’m going to betray you?” Bailey pushed away and gaped at
him, hurt. “I would never do anything to hurt you or anyone else here. How
could you think that?”

“I know
you
wouldn’t. But Roderick is one truly evil bastard. I wouldn’t
put it past him to have done something to you.”

“So you’re all waiting for me
to go off? Is that it? What do you think I’m going to do? Go postal and shoot
you all in your sleep?”

“I don’t know, which is why we
need to be careful. I don’t want to keep secrets, darling, really I don’t, but
don’t you see? By not telling you anything, you can’t betray us, even if it’s
unintentionally.”

“So, what, I’m going to be an
outsider for the rest of my life? Treated like some prisoner?” Her voice broke.
Gavin tried to draw her back into his arms, but she stepped out of reach.

A frustrated sigh blew out of
him, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Of course not. This is temporary. Just
until we take care of Roderick once and for all.” His words were an eerie echo
of Wyatt’s.

“Oh my God. You’re going after
the psycho.”

“We can’t. We have no idea
where he is.”

But she’d heard enough. Despite
everything they’d shared, and the love he claimed, he didn’t trust her. He
thought she’d betray the pack.
And the
worst part is he’s probably right.
She still couldn’t recall those five
missing days.

With a strangled cry, she fled,
ignoring his plea to come back. She locked herself in the bedroom they’d given
her and cried. It didn’t matter they probably knew better than her what
Roderick was capable of. It didn’t matter they’d not let up in their attentions
or affection to her. The fact they could even think that her subconscious
harbored a bomb, or worse, that someone watched her actions through her mind,
made her sick.

Red eyes bored into hers while a slick voice murmured incomprehensible
words. She pulled against the chains . . .

Bailey lurched off the bed, ran
for the bathroom, and spewed her lunch into the porcelain bowl. Slumping beside
it, drained emotionally and physically, she could only shake.

What was that I saw?

This wasn’t the first time
she’d experienced an odd flashback, and she sobbed anew as she realized what it
probably meant. She did hide something awful in her mind—something that could
hurt everyone she’d come to care for.

Crawling out to the bedroom,
she made it back onto the bed, where she hugged herself, rocking her body and
ignoring the knocks on the door. Hours passed, and she thought they’d all
forgotten her, until she heard a metallic ping at the door. With a click, the
door opened, and Jaxon sauntered in balancing a tray.

“Go away,” she muttered. “Don’t
you know I’m dangerous?”

“Sure, tempt me, why don’t you?
I live for danger,” he exclaimed with a bright smile, setting down the tray on
the comforter before flopping onto the end of the bed.

He snagged a fry off the plate
he uncovered, the aroma of the food making her stomach churn unhappily.

“I’m not hungry,” she said, her
tone sulky.

“What? And here I went through
all this trouble.”

“Fries and chicken nuggets with
canned corn is trouble?” she replied wryly.

“I’ll have you know that can
opener is finicky.”

“You are such a ham.”

“I prefer dog,” he replied
seriously before lolling his tongue and panting.

Bailey giggled. She couldn’t
help it. Jaxon seemed bound and determined to make her smile, and as usual, he
succeeded. She grabbed a fry to chew on to make him happy. No sooner did she
swallow than she ran for the bathroom, gagging.

A hand stroked her spine while
she heaved, and when she stood weakly, Jaxon scooped her into his arms to carry
her back to bed. After settling her, he disposed of the tray and climbed in
beside her, propping his head on one hand to regard her.

“So who’s the daddy, do you
think?”

At first, her brain didn’t
comprehend. When it did, the pieces fell together: her moodiness, tears, and
now the throwing up.

She staggered out of the bed
and into the bathroom. Dropping to her knees, she then opened the cabinet and rifled
through the contents.

“I know I hid it in here
somewhere,” she muttered under her breath, feeling so stupid for not thinking
of the reason for her malaise.

“What did you hide?
Playboy
magazines? A vibrator?”

“No. This!” She held up the
paper bag triumphantly, and when Jaxon raised a brow, she shooed him out of the
bathroom instead of answering. She tore open the package and pulled out the
slim wand with its little window.

Dropping her pants first, she inelegantly
squatted over the toilet and forced a stream of pee out. She hit her hand first
before soaking the stick. Grossed out, she put the pregnancy wand on the
counter, wiped, and then washed her hands. She kept her eyes peeled on the
little square as she scrubbed.

A cross appeared.

“Holy cow, I’m pregnant.”
Oddly, the realization relieved her instead of sending her into a full-blown
breakdown. Pregnancy would explain so much, including why she’d acted like a
psycho manic bitch all week long.

Grabbing the proof, she flung
the door open and said, “Jaxon, get the boys. I need to tell them something.”

Picking food off her tray,
Jaxon tossed a, “They’re out patrolling and won’t be back for hours,” over his
shoulder.

“Oh.”

He rolled, still chewing, to
face her. “Why? What’s up, sweet cheeks? You look like you’re going to burst.”

She waved the stick at him.
“I’m not some crazy emotional bitch. I’m pregnant.”

A blank look dropped over
Jaxon’s face. “Pregnant?”

For a moment, red eyes flashed
in front of Bailey, a vision gone when she blinked. “Do you think the boys will
be happy?” she asked, suddenly uncertain, as Jaxon sprang up off the bed.

He stalked toward her, not
saying a word, a grimace contorting his face, and his eyes . . . Dear God, the
irises in his eyes were red.

Bailey backed away from him.
“Jaxon?” Her voice wavered.

For a moment, a look of horror
flashed over his face, but his hands still stretched toward her. “Run, Bailey,”
he gasped. “I can’t stop him.”

She waited a half second too
long. Jaxon grabbed her, and though she struggled, she couldn’t escape. A blow
to the side of her head sank her into darkness.

“I can’t wait until we take
care of Roderick. I can’t stand seeing her so miserable,” Wyatt grumbled,
feeling like a useless idiot bumbling in the darkness looking for rogues who
had once again vanished without a trace.

“Tell me about it. The whole
mating bond means I feel how sad and uneasy she is all the time. It’s not fair.
I can’t believe she’d do something to betray us,” Parker added.

“Not her, Roderick. I hate it
as much as you guys, but I get the feeling it won’t be long now. Nathan is
convinced the bastard is hiding close by, and given the way he keeps jabbing at
our defenses, I agree.”

“But where?” Wyatt griped. His
frustration got the better of him, and he punched the trunk of a tree,
splintering the bark.