Checkmate (12 page)

“So here’s what happens, since I’m almost positive Eli didn’t tell you the specifics. Trust me, I had to go to Judith to get the details.” Tieran shifted in her seat, looking for a more comfortable position. “A pack has a hierarchy. The top is called the Prime. He’s kind of like the go-to guy for major problems, keeps the pack in order, blah, blah, blah.”

Judith laughed. “Actually, there’s quite a bit more involved.”

Tieran waved her off. “Nikki doesn’t need to know all that right now. So at one time, Caelan and Eli’s dad, Judith’s mate, was Prime.”

“That’s right,” Judith proclaimed proudly. “My Liam made a mighty fine Prime.”

Tieran rolled her eyes. “You’ll have to excuse Judith, she’s a little infatuated with Liam. You’ll see. Anyway. Liam retired and now Caelan is Prime.”

Nikki’s eyebrows shot upward. “Caelan is king?”

Mountain Dew shot from Tieran’s lips. “Lord, don’t say that when he’s around. His head’s big enough as it is.”

“Okay.” Nikki chuckled. “But, if Caelan and Eli are identical twins, how did Caelan get to be k—head honcho? Did they fight for it?” She vaguely remembered watching some special where the wolves fought for supremacy.

“Nope,” Judith answered. “Luck of the draw.”

“Huh?”

“Caelan was born first.”

“You’re kidding. A couple of minutes is all that’s keeping Eli from being Prime?”

“Yep. Not that Eli wants to be Prime anyway. And now”—she patted her belly—“with this little guy on the way, poor Eli’s shut out.”

Judith snorted indelicately. “Yeah. Poor Eli. He’s probably jumping for joy. Don’t get me wrong, Nikki, Eli loves his job as Second, and would take over the pack in a heartbeat if need be, but he’d rather be working his security jobs. Now with you here, he’ll probably even back off of some of those. That’s just how shifters are when they meet their mate.”

“Hmm.” Nikki bit her lip. She wasn’t too sure about this whole mate thing yet. And having Eli around more seemed way too stifling for her peace of mind. A change of subject was definitely in order. “So, if you’re not having a…pup, then when can they…you know, become a wolf?”

“Not ’til puberty, so I’m told,” Tieran said before taking another big gulp of her soda.

Judith nodded. “Right. And there’s plenty of time for you to learn all this.”

Nikki was doubtful. It must have shown on her face because Tieran took pity on her.

“I was in the same boat you’re in not too many months ago. It gets easier, I promise.”

“I’ll always be here to help too, dear.” Judith was nothing like Nikki ever imagined a mother-in-law to be.

Mother-in-law? No. Yes? Damn. She bit her lower lip. They had her so flustered she was starting to think the same way. Worse, she wanted it. Wanted a life with Eli in it. Had since high school probably, but those dreams had been shattered until the last few days.

What exactly was she running from? The love of her life, who with every moment of the day was proving how much he loved her back? Why?

She realized in a shocking discovery that the one thing she’d dwelled on for eight long, agonizing months didn’t matter in this house. She hadn’t even thought about her scarred face until Judith had touched it with a tender finger. No one had given her the pitying looks, or murmured behind her back when she turned around. No one cared about it except her.

So how long would it take her to get over it?

Now, she decided, with resolute determination. It was part of her life, it wasn’t going to go away.

“You look like you’re deep in thought, dear. Anything we can help with?”

Nikki took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs.

“No,” she said and tried to smile. “I have to deal with this on my own, but everyone here has already gone a long way to helping. Thank you.”

The only thing she had left to deal with was the guilt over losing her friends and not being able to do anything to save them. Tears flooded her eyes.

“Oh, sweetie.” Judith moved and enveloped Nikki in a bear hug.

“I should have been with them,” Nikki whispered against Judith’s shoulder.

“With who? Your friends? Then without a doubt, you would be dead too.” Tieran rubbed circles on Nikki’s back.

Nikki nodded. She knew that. In the bottom of her heart, she knew Tieran spoke the truth, but it hurt. She had a feeling, years from now, it would still hurt. The only thing left to do was find justice for the lives of her friends. If she had to search until the day she died to find the man responsible, she would.

“Better now?”

“Yes.” She’d already convinced herself that night in the hospital there was nothing she could do to bring her friends back. She tried to shut out the imagery, tried not to think about it. For the most part, she’d held it together. Didn’t take much to bring it all to the forefront though. It would take her a long time to get over what she’d seen and stop missing her friends, but she would get passed it. Especially with these two women offering their undying support, or when she lay in Eli’s arms, nestled into his warmth and protection.

After a few more minutes, Judith released her from the bear hug and held her at arm’s length. Tears shimmered in her eyes.

“I have to go out of town for the next couple of days, but don’t ever think you can’t call me if you need to.” She gave a reassuring squeeze.

“Me too. God knows I’ve got my own amount of guilt for what I put Eli through way back when. I still haven’t forgiven myself for thinking he could have killed those… Well, we can have a pity party whenever you want. I’m a moody bitch right now anyway.” Tieran tucked Nikki into a hug. Her belly made it a little awkward and the baby responded to the sudden pressure by kicking out.

Nikki laughed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

She would be okay.

Chapter Eleven

Nikki was gone. The second he opened his eyes, he knew she wasn’t in the room or the connecting bathroom. Eli bolted upright in their bed. Why the fuck hadn’t he sensed it before now? One of their security lights flared to life outside and beamed through the slit of the curtains on the bedroom window, illuminating the empty half of the bed. Distressed sheets told him she’d obviously fought a nightmare.

Damn it. His mate had tossed and turned and he hadn’t felt a thing. Worse, someone was in their fucking yard and he hadn’t sensed it. Calling on all his shifter senses, he drew a deep breath. Throwing back the covers, he jumped off the bed and wrestled himself into his jeans.

He felt her now, her stress, her fear. He sensed Caelan stirring awake, and Tieran, dead to the world. No one else, though. Nikki was alone wherever she was. Unless whoever made the light come on had the ability to mask his scent. Another shifter might.

He inched the curtain back further with hands that were close to becoming paws. Through the window he saw her, standing on the small rise to the back of the house. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, and a small breeze tugged at her hair and the tail of his T-shirt she’d thrown on. Her long, bare legs stood out in the bright light of the security beam.

She looked fucking lonely as hell.

Eli strode out of the bedroom, where a very sleepy Caelan met him in the hallway. “What’s up?”

“Nikki needed some air I guess.” He nodded at Caelan’s body. “You were planning on scaring an intruder to death?”

“Wha—?” Caelan stared at Eli like he had no clue what Eli was talking about.

“You’re not wearing any pants, man.”

Caelan dropped his gaze. “Hmm. I thought I felt a breeze.” He shrugged. “Never know when you might need to shift. So are you saying there isn’t someone out there?”

“Just Nikki.”

“Oh, good. I thought with the light…”

“Yeah, me too.” Eli said, already moving to the back door.

“I’m guessing she didn’t take too well to what we are?” Caelan asked.

Eli paused. She hadn’t seemed to be too distraught. Yeah, she’d needed some space, but his mom had told him Nikki was fine. Mostly sad about her friends and the way things were happening in her life, but fine with the mating. And with Tieran and his mom around, there wasn’t anything Nikki could ask they wouldn’t answer.

Hell, she only had to ask him. He wouldn’t hold anything back from her now that she knew everything. The problem was getting it all out the first time.

“No. I think Mom and Tieran did a good job convincing her we were real.”

“Tieran thought so too.”

Eli nodded. “Go back to bed. I’ve got to go get my mate.”

He opened the door and stepped onto the patio. Nikki had sat on the grass and was watching the landscape. Leaves rustled in the trees and somewhere in the distance a lone wolf howled. One of the Samson family, by the sound of it. He saw Nikki’s shoulders tense and it made his heart ache.

He walked up to her, making as much noise as he could on the grass so he didn’t scare her. She didn’t turn around but he could tell she knew he was there.

“Do you want to see my wolf?”

Her head tilted slightly like she was thinking about it. “Yes.” Her voice was almost inaudible.

His heart thumped. Would this be what scared her off? He didn’t give himself the chance to think about it. Instead he stripped off his jeans and shifted. His body craved this moment just like it always had from the very first time he’d done it.

Bones and joints popped, elongating, strengthening. Fur tingled across his skin, teeth lengthened into razor-sharp points. His fingers and hands transformed into paws.

He stood on all fours and sniffed the air. Her scent enticed him even more in this form. Now he wanted to shift back and ravish her.

Eli padded to her and nudged her elbow with his nose. She jumped and he could hear her heart hammering away at her ribs. Her breath came in shallow pants, not much different from his own.

Look at me,
he willed her.

When she turned her head, her eyes were shut tight. He licked them and whined when she scrunched up her face against his onslaught. She didn’t back away though and for that, he’d forever be grateful.

“Gross.”

As she spoke, his tongue slid across her lips and he tasted her.

“Ugh. Enough.” She pushed him away with a playful shove, a smile lighting up her cheeks.

He came back for more, pushing against her with his head, nuzzling her arm and belly. She laughed out loud and dug her fingers into his fur. Damn but it felt good. Both to see her laughing and the scratching she did along his underside.

He plopped down next to her with a sigh and laid his head in her lap. She scratched at his ears.

“This is really, very, extremely weird. You know that, don’t you?”

Eli met her gaze.

“God. It’s really you in there. Your eyes are the same, and this fur”—she tugged at his shoulder—“it’s the same color as your head. When you’re a human, I mean.” She continued to pet him. “I’m talking to a dog.”

Eli growled low in his throat.

“Whoa. Sorry. Wolf. I’m talking to a wolf. Because it’s okay to talk to a wolf, right?”

Resting on her thigh, his nose was close to her pussy. He smelled the arousal emanating from her. She might not realize she was turned-on but he did and he wanted her. Time to end this.

His fur was like silk in her fingers and tickled her bare thigh.

Crazy.

She had to be insane to be sitting here petting a wolf. She wanted to cry with the lunacy of it all. The man she loved with every fiber of her being had just turned into a wolf. His golden eyes seemed to stare straight into her soul. A lump knotted in her throat.

Eli’s wolf body began to vibrate beneath her fingers. Nikki stretched her hand out where it lay on his shoulder. Whether she was comforting him or not, she didn’t know.

Incredibly, his fur started shrinking. His long snout shortened, the pointy ears receded.

Scared, Nikki pulled back. She didn’t move away, but she couldn’t touch him. His large paws transformed into fingers. She heard joints and bones pop and cringed at what must be very painful. Her heart broke. How did he do this? How often did he do this?

Seconds later, Eli’s head replaced the wolf’s on her leg.

“Jesus,” she whispered in awe.

He smiled and rubbed his nose on her thigh. His hand rested on the inside of her leg just below his cheek, and long fingers stroked her skin. Nikki closed her eyes and absorbed the sensation. She loved when he touched her and lately he had his hands on her most of the time. Almost as if he thought if he stopped touching her she would disappear.

Nikki mentally snorted. She wasn’t going anywhere and turning into a wolf wasn’t going to chase her away.

“Are you following me?” she asked softly.

He squeezed her thigh. “I can’t be apart from you for very long. Something in our wolf make-up prevents it.”

She smiled. “That might get kind of awkward when I have to use the restroom somewhere.”

He reached for her hand and kissed along her knuckles. “Yeah, well, I guess you’ll just have to pee before we leave the house.”

Nikki laughed. “And I guess you’ll be the one cleaning up the mess.”

“Then we won’t leave the house.”

“I’ll get bored.”

“I’ll think of ways to keep you occupied,” he growled. His eyes gleamed with wicked intent and her pussy pulsed in reaction. She could imagine all the ways he’d keep her busy. From what she’d experienced so far, staying in might not be such a hardship.

“I want you now.”

She nodded as his fingers crept beneath the hem of his T-shirt that was three sizes too big on her. It smelled like him though and she’d needed a piece of him wrapped around her. If he felt empty without her by his side, so did she. Wearing his shirt had seemed the appropriate thing to do.

“I need to taste you, Nikki-Raine. To make love to you. To forget about everything else for a little while, except what it feels like to be deep inside you.”

She swallowed. Her nipples hardened into tight buds and rubbed almost painfully against the cotton covering them. Her knees separated of their own accord and she was powerless to stop them. Nor did she want to. Eli lifted himself into the vee of her thighs and got comfortable on his stomach. Her heart rate soared seeing his head nearly nestled at her apex.