Feral Instincts (The Feral Series) (35 page)

“Hope
you don’t mind, I passed the servant bringing your food and asked him if I
could deliver it instead.”

“Oh,
thank you. Teagan has barely eaten anything since we got back. He has to be
starving.” Joseph set the large tray on the coffee table and stood awkwardly
for a moment with his thumbs hanging on the pockets of his black pants.

“Are
you okay Ava?” Joseph didn’t look at her but at the floor when he asked his
question. Ava smiled at him.

“Not
you too.”

Joseph’s
golden eyes looked up at her in surprise.

“You
know what, I’m a lot tougher than everyone thinks. I am not the weak little
girl that I used to be and I’m glad. I survived Salvatore…
twice…
being
shot with arrows, and a feral werewolf. Now tomorrow we leave to join my mate’s
pack that is sure to hate me seeing as how I will be the only vampire in the
clan and mated to their future pack leader. You know what though? I say bring
it on. Because no matter what life has thrown at me so far, I have clawed my
way back up. You know what? After all that…” Ava’s voice cracked with emotion.
“…the only thing I know I wouldn’t have been able to survive… would have been
losing Teagan.” Ava’s eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Joseph.

“Ava…”
Joseph’s eyes shone with emotion when they met hers.

Stepping
close to her he wrapped one arm around her slim waist in a tender hug. He never
could stand to see a woman cry, especially not this one. “I love him Joseph. I
don’t know what I would have done if I had lost him.” A deep chuckle vibrated
from Joseph’s chest. Tilting her chin up with his large hand he smiled into her
tear streaked eyes.

“Okay
then. That’s all I needed to know.”

A
low growl interrupted their tender moment. “Joseph, get your hands off my
mate.”

With
a guilty cringe Ava released Joseph and took a step back. Teagan stood in the
doorway of the bathroom with his arms folded across his broad chest.
Fortunately he had at least taken the time to wrap a towel around his hips.

With
an antagonistic grin Joseph leaned in and kissed Ava’s cheek. Ava darted a
quick look over at Teagan but surprisingly he remained where he was.

“You’re
a strong and amazing woman Ava. Take good care of your mate.” Joseph had needed
to reassure himself that Ava was truly where she wanted to be. He could see now
that she was. Things were not going to be easy for them but he knew that
whatever happed they would face it together. Joseph gave her a playful wink and
then let himself out, closing the door softly behind him.

Now
that he had a chance to check on Ava he was ready to head home. He was
surprised at the surge in his heart rate as his thoughts turned to a little red
head. He had left her well protected but he was still anxious to get back and
see for himself that she was okay. If Alex was anything like little Ava,
trouble would find her no matter how well protected she was.

As
the door closed behind Joseph, Ava looked up to see Teagan prowling across the
room towards her. She tensed as he drew closer, sure he was going to be mad.
Ava gasped as his arms wrapped her in a fierce hug and his lips swooped down to
claim her. He kissed her tenderly, the love he felt for her flowing through
their bond, leaving tingles across her skin.

Scooping
her up, he walked back to the bed with her. Ava frowned at him until she
realized he was crawling in on top of her now minus his towel. She had been
afraid she was being put to bed like a child again. The tinkling of her
laughter was music to his ears as she quickly intertwined her legs with his now
bare legs.

Ava’s
breath caught in her throat for a moment when she met his suddenly intense
expression. “You will never loose me mate.” Apparently he had overheard her
talking to Joseph. Ava’s eyes filled with tears. Between Joseph and now Teagan,
the walls she had been forced to wrap her emotions in were starting to crumble.
She hadn’t had the luxury of falling apart over the past few days. She had to
be strong to survive and to make sure both she and Teagan made it through the
darkness. But here, lying in his arms, she didn’t have to be strong anymore.

With
a sob she buried her face into the curve of his neck and wept. “God Teagan. I
was so afraid I wouldn’t be able to save you, to save us.”

“Shhh.
Don’t cry sweet. Your safe now and everything’s going to be fine.”

Pulling
back from her, he wiped her tears. He laughed but it sounded biter and full of
pain. “I wasn’t sure you would still want to be with me after seeing me turned
feral. Gods Ava, I hunted you, stalked you through the woods.” Pulling the hem
of the shirt up he gently grazed his fingers across the healing wound on her
ribs. “I did this.” The look on his face was full of self-loathing. “I could
have killed you at any time.”

Ava
pulled his hand from her side and brought it to her lips, kissing his fingers.
“But you didn’t Teagan. You didn’t choose to become feral like the others, it
was forced on you. Even then you did it trying to protect me. Even as a feral
you protected me. The wound was an accident. Let it go.”

Ava’s
soft hands began to run over the contours of his back, soothing her mate, and
then mischievously they began to explore further down. With a grown Teagan
captured her wondering hands and pinned them against his chest. “Ava, you
really should rest now.” A look of determination settled in Ava’s eyes. Enough
was enough. There was no way he was going to get away with treating her like
glass anymore.

Although
her hands remained trapped she leaned in closer to him and tucked her face into
the bend of his neck, nuzzling her nose against his skin she softly kissed his
neck. Thinking she might need to feed again he turned his head, giving her
access to his neck and released her hands, pulling her in closer.

Continuing
to kiss his warm skin, Ava started to swirl her tongue across the muscle in his
neck and worked her way up to the sensitive spot just below his earlobe. “Ava…”
Teagan growled in warning when he felt her grin as chills ran down his arm. Her
sweet breath fanned his heated flesh as she pulled his earlobe between her lips
and teased it with her tongue.

“Sweet,
no… you’re injured.” Teagan growled as he pulled her away but Ava could tell by
the sound that he had begun to weaken. Sliding over the top of him she lay with
her head resting on his chest and pretended to behave for a moment. Teagan let
out a sigh and began to relax. The she innocently began drawing little circles
on his chest with her fingertips. Ava fought back her smile as the muscle
beneath her fingers rippled and flexed. Slowly she trailed her moist lips
across his chest and nuzzled her lips against his stiff nipple.

Ava
could feel him holding his breath as she opened her mouth and circled her
tongue around the pebbled flesh. Gently she pulled him into her mouth and then
grazed her teeth over the stiffened peek.

Teagan
let out a growl as his mates teeth grazed his skin and then slid lower down his
chest. “Ava…” He reached for her to stop her descent but instead found himself
groaning and arching his hips as her small hand circled his swollen
shaft. 

Helplessly
he looked down at her as she slid her small hand up and down his hardness. He
was quickly losing the strength to deny her. “Ava you need to rest. You’re
ribs…” Teagan’s breath left him in a hiss at the first touch of her tongue.

Licking
him slowly from base to tip, Teagan tensed as she teased him. Ava tormented him
without mercy only placing the tip of him in her mouth and then slowly licking
him again. Finally, knowing that he was no longer capable of denying her, she
took him deeply into her mouth and was rewarded with his groan of surrender.
Eagerly she slid her full lips up and down his thickness, sucking and teasing
him with a light scraping of her teeth. Ava continued to pleasure him for
several moments until he reached down and pulled her back up his chest.

For
a moment she was afraid he was going to make her stop until the shirt she still
wore was quickly pulled over her head. Wrapping his large hands around her back
he lowered her full breasts to his mouth and hungrily devoured the sensitive
peeks. Ava moaned in disappointment when suddenly abandoned the rosy peeks and
scooted lower in the bed pushing her hips over his shoulders and leaving her
facing the headboard.

Ava
couldn’t help the blush that stole into her cheeks when she realized that
Teagan stopped moving down the bed so that her core hovered above his head,
that is until his tongue found her slick heat and she moaned and grabbed the
headboard for support. Wrapping his callused hands around her hips, Teagan held
her prisoner above him while his tongue slid between her folds and he gently
sucked her between his lips. Arching her back Ava held on for dear life as
pleasure shot through her core and heat raced through her body.

Her
moans of pleasure drove him mad and he knew she neared her peak. Releasing his
hold on her he gently guided her back down his body and moved back up the bed
until he sat with his back against the headboard and Ava once again straddle
his hips.  

Lifting
her hips, Ava centered herself over his hardness and eagerly sank down over his
shaft, surrounding him with her silken warmth. With a moan she began moving her
hips, gliding up and down Teagan’s hardness. Ava gasped when Teagan captured
one of her nipples in the warmth of his mouth, the two sensations, driving her
passions higher.

Teagan
held his beast firmly at bay, determined to let his little mate set the pace.
Always conscious of her healing ribs he had tried not to put her any positions
that might put pressure on her wound.

Nearing
the limits of his restraint he reached in between their two bodies and stroked
the center of her core. Arching her back, Ava gasped as she exploded in
ecstasy, and thrust her hips firmly against Teagan’s shaft. Feeling his mate
climaxing around him, Teagan let go of his restraint and joined her, grabbing
her hips and thrusting deeply as he filled her with his seed.

With
a sigh, Ava sank limply against Teagan’s chest and tucked her head under his chin.
For a moment they both caught their breath and then Teagan gathered Ava in his
arms and sank down into the bed, tucking Ava in besides him and holding her
close. Breathing deeply of her scent, a feeling of contentment filled him. He
could feel the strength of her love through their shared bond and he was
humbled. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve such a brave and amazing
mate.

Ava
snuggled against him and smiled is satisfaction. Once again she had found a way
around her mate’s overprotective and domineering behavior.
Hmmm, I think I’m
getting the hang of this.
She had a hard time holding back the giggle that
threated to escape.

Teagan
knew his little mate was feeling rather pleased with herself over having gotten
her way. He supposed it wasn’t so awful letting her win from time to time. He
was still getting his way too though, he smiled as her breathing evened out as
she finally drifted off to sleep.

He
knew he had been driving her nuts, obsessing over the wound he had given her.
He couldn’t help it though. Moving his hand down her side he gently ran his
fingertips over the healing pink scratches on her side. He would make sure that
nothing ever hurt his little mate again. With a sigh, he ignored the grumble of
hunger in his stomach and instead settled in to watch her sleep.

Covering
her yawn with the back of one hand, Ava caught the grin that spread across
Teagan’s face. Once Ava had woken from her cat nap, and realize Teagan still
hadn’t eaten, she had insisted on hand feeding him. Taking full advantage of
the fact that his hands were free, while she was busy feeding him, it had taken
several attempts to actually get a whole meal into him.

She
would probably take a nap in the SUV once they were underway. First though she
needed to have a nice long talk with Kat. She had so many questions and she
knew Kat did too. How in the world was it possible that her best friend was a
pureblooded werewolf? And how had she run into Teagan’s brother Ronan? Then
there was the little detail of Ava being a vampire now.

Now
that it was dark, the four of them would be heading for Teagan’s pack today.
Ava felt like there was a brick sitting in her stomach. She was so not looking
forward to this. Teagan gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and opened the SUV’s
door for her. He knew that she was worried that his pack would reject her. His
protective instincts flared brightly. She was his now and nothing would ever
come between the two of them again, not even his pack.

With
Salvatore dead, Teagan was now free to return home with his mate. Victor’s men
had already destroyed most of the rogues Salvatore had created. Without the
leadership of their sire they had been much easier to hunt down. They were
still going to have to hunt down the few that had escaped though and
Salvatore’s second in command was still unaccounted for.

Victor
had agreed to return Daniel to the pack. Several of Victor’s men would be
leaving with him later in the evening. He had been so confident in his plan
that instead of running, he had stuck around, hoping to lead the vampires in
their hunt for the feral Teagan. Ethan had easily captured him, locking him in
a holding cell below Claymore. Fortunately when Daniel had shown Victor
Teagan’s medallion as proof that he was feral, Victor had taken it from him,
intending to return it to his pack if need be. The law of the pack would deal
harshly with a traitor like him. He might have fared better had he stayed with
the vampires.