Loving Their Vixen Mate (Pack Wars Book 4) (10 page)

Brandon banged into her over and over again, and then held her tight as his hot cum filled the condom. Blood pounded in her ears, leaving her with one less sense. She couldn’t tell if what he said was her name or not.

He walked them over to the bed, slipped out of her, and placed her gently on the comforter. “Be right back.”

Brandon ducked into the bathroom, returned with a warm cloth, and then wiped her clean. “I’m usually good with saying how great the sex was, but this was more than sex and it sure as fuck was better than great.”

Mac grinned. She propped herself up on her elbows, trying not to think about the fact that she was naked in front of a man she’d just met. Her father was probably rolling over in his grave. She didn’t want to think about her mom’s reaction to what Mac had just done.

He’s my mate.

Brandon sat next to her. “It’s almost midnight, and you’re more than welcome to stay. Here. In my bed. I promise to hold you all night and keep the evil thoughts at bay.”

A calm enveloped her as she stroked his face. “That’s very sweet of you, but I imagine Jay is waiting up for me.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” She eased off the bed and picked up her clothes. It was a bit awkward dressing in front of him considering Mr. Magnificent was sprawled on the bed in all his glory. His cock hadn’t even deflated. If she didn’t need to get back, she might try for round two. “Thank Sam for me.”

Brandon sat up. “For what? I think I should get all the credit for taking you to heaven.”

She smiled. “I was talking about both of your willingness to tell me about Cheryl.” At her name, a renewed depression settled on her, but at least now Mac seemed better able to cope. Sam and Brandon would help.

He got up, slipped on his jeans and boots, and walked her to the back door where she’d parked. This time she let him open her back door. “Stay safe and call.” He pulled out his phone from his pocket. “Can I get your cell number?”

“Sure.”

He typed in her number and she typed in his. Brandon cupped her face. “Don’t worry. I promise we’ll find her.”

Those few words of support meant the world to her. Brandon was an awesome man. “Thank you.”

He snapped his fingers. “That reminds me. I’ll set up an appointment for you to see Elena tomorrow. I’ll call you with directions.”

She leaned over and gave him a chaste kiss, not expecting a renewed rush of lust. Boy, did she have it bad.

As she drove back to Jay’s house, Mac’s head swam. Elena might have been the last decent person to speak with Cheryl. Brandon said Elena probably couldn’t tell her anything new, but Mac didn’t care. Not only did she want to make sure Elena was real, Mac wanted to learn what atrocities Cheryl had endured. Her cousin was fragile. Right now, Mac had no more leads. Elena was her last hope.

It was late when Mac arrived at Jay’s house. The lights were out inside. Jay must have gone to bed. So much for him being a party animal. She opened her car door to get some light. She stuck her hand in her purse for the key but couldn’t find it. Crap. It was still on the shelf next to the door. She cut the engine, traipsed up the porch steps, and knocked.

No answer. Now what? Only one thing to do—pick the lock. She could call him, but why wake him up? It would be faster to pick the lock anyway. She extracted the small kit from her purse, selected the right pick, and played with the tumblers. A few seconds later the door clicked opened—but so did a violently loud alarm that had her jumping out of her skin.

*     *     *

Sam was sitting in his truck about a block from Jay’s house, drumming his fingers on the wheel while he waited for Mackenzie to arrive. The headset sat next to him, ready to put on as soon as she stepped into the darkened house with her cousin.

Sam had been there close to an hour, and he was getting worried something might have happened to her. An accident perhaps? Or had some of Jay’s Colter friends followed her? Anger roiled inside him. He had to find out. Just as he pulled out his phone to call Brandon, his cell buzzed. They couldn’t read each other’s minds this far away, but often their timing defied this world.

“Where’s Mackenzie?” Sam asked not bothering to contain his frustration.

Brandon chuckled. “She should be there soon.”

From the joy in his voice, something had gone down. “Why the fuck are you so…ah, never mind. You made love to our mate, didn’t you?” His anger immediately defused.

“Yup. She was
desperate
for me.”

Brandon didn’t need to rub it in. At the thought of making love with Mackenzie, Sam’s nails grew and his fangs extended. He was happy that she’d been so willing, but he wished to hell he’d stayed around long enough to be with her. “Did you tell her about us being mates?” That had been Brandon’s plan. It must have worked.

“Yes, and she took it very well. Seems she’s been feeling the same thing we have.”

“Hot damn.” Headlights came toward him and he ducked down, not wanting Mackenzie to see him. “She’s here.”

“Okay. I’ll let you do your thing. Make sure she stays safe.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

As soon as she pulled into the drive, he sat up. Mackenzie exited her car and slowly walked up the steps, seemingly confused about something. It was almost midnight and the house was dark. Instead of unlocking the door and going inside, she knocked then removed something from her purse. The porch had one yellow bulb over the door, but it was enough for him to see clearly. Wait a minute. His woman was taking out a set of lock picks. He sat there entranced as she expertly opened the door in seconds. She hadn’t been exaggerating about her talent.

Suddenly, an ear-shattering alarm nearly broke his eardrums. Holy shit. The whole neighborhood was bound to wake up. She slapped her palms over her ears and bounced up and down. Mercifully, a few seconds later the sound stopped, and Jay appeared at the entrance.

Show time
.

*     *     *

“What the fuck?” Jay said.

“I left my key inside. I’m sorry.”

“You ever try the doorbell?”

“I knocked. Doesn’t that count? When you didn’t answer, I got in another way. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Could have fooled me. Get in here.”

Christ. He sounded like her dad when she’d done something stupid. Only this time, it hadn’t been totally her fault.

He closed and locked the door. “When you didn’t come back, I figured you were shacking up with some snitch.”

That hurt. Then again, Jay hadn’t been around her much since she finished college. “Sorry.” She picked up the key from where she’d left it and placed it on her keychain. “Now, I won’t wake up the neighborhood.”

“Let’s hope not.” He leaned close and inhaled deeply. “Eau de sex. You learn anything good?”

Damn werewolf sense of smell. Heat raced up her face. “Some. But don’t you have to call the alarm company about the possible break-in?”

“I don’t have a service. My alarm’s merely to scare the crap out of an intruder and to wake me. I’m a heavy sleeper. The alarm also turns on a bunch of surveillance cameras so I can see who’s trying to get me.”

Get him? “Did you do something bad that makes people want to come after you?” Had he taken after his father? It didn’t seem likely if he was repairing engines for a living.

“Like I’ve said, you can’t be too careful around here. Gulfside isn’t the safest town in the world.”

She didn’t like hearing that. “Then move.”

“I’ve considered it. Remember, that if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can be deadly. It won’t matter if you have a gun or not. You won’t have time to get it out.” His gaze bored into hers as if he was sending a warning.

Was he talking about himself or her? “Great.”

“So what was this hotter than sex information you got? Will it help you find your cousin?” He turned and walked back toward the kitchen.

She sat on the sofa, willing her pulse to slow. “Not really, but you were right. Cheryl was kidnapped, held in a cage for a few days, then sold to someone at auction.”

Jay continued into the kitchen, his steps slower. He glanced over his shoulder. “You sure about this?” Why didn’t he act upset or sound shocked?

Because it happened here all the time. Christ. Was Gulfside some den of iniquity where all the bad Colters gathered?

“Pretty sure.”

The refrigerator door banged open. “Who’s your source?”

Did it really matter? “Some guy I met at Wheels.”

He returned with a beer in hand. “That place isn’t exactly reputable. Your snitch might have just told you that tale so you’d fuck him. Hope it was worth it.”

Why was Jay being so crass? Was he trying to persuade her to leave? “It was.” With his attitude, she wouldn’t waste her breath trying to convince him that Brandon and Sam were nice guys, and that the chemistry between them was off the charts. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

“You can ask, but I might not answer.” He winked then dropped down onto the chair across from her, planting his feet on the wooden coffee table that sat between them.

He sure was in a pissy mood tonight. Maybe someone had complained about the way he’d fixed a car engine, or a customer had taken off without paying. Then again, it could have been from being awoken in the middle of the night to a screeching alarm. “What can you tell me about werewolves and their mates?”

His brows pinched. “Not sure I follow you.”

She didn’t dare tell him the real reason for her question. “When I was at the bar, this guy was talking about what happened the moment one of his friends got near his mate. The friend claimed he almost shifted, and said his sex drive was unparalleled. Dad never mentioned anything like that happening to him when he met Mom. Have you ever heard that? Or is it fiction?”

Jay leaned back and smiled. “I can’t believe I need to have ‘the’ talk with you. While I’ve never experienced that phenomenon myself, I’ve heard it’s true. I doubt I ever will go through it since in my job I don’t run into a lot of hot babes.”

Goosebumps raced over her body knowing Brandon was telling the truth. She still wasn’t sure she bought into this mate stuff, but what she’d felt when making love with him couldn’t be compared to anything she’d ever experienced before. With the way Jay was twisting the bottle, he was uncomfortable with this conversation. “Good to know.”

While she trusted both Brandon and Sam, and the attraction had definitely been intense, did that automatically mean they were destined for each other? For life? Despite Jay’s confirmation, she found that difficult to believe. His information came secondhand, too. A lot of people believed they’d found their soul mate, only to discover months or years later it was just infatuation.

“You okay?” he asked.

She jerked her attention back to her cousin. “Yeah, I’m just tired. I should head to bed and let you get back to sleep.” She debated telling him about the meeting tomorrow with Elena, but given Jay’s frame of mind, he’d probably tell her she was crazy and that it was some kind of trap.

“Take a shower first.” His tone came out light and teasing.

“Just for that, I might not shower for a week.”
Jerk
.

“I’d like to see you try.”

E
lena Sanchez wasn’t what Mac expected. Her image of the woman was one of a dirty waif cowering in a cage. Elena looked good. Mac wouldn’t have looked so normal if some man had drugged and confined her for a few weeks. Elena seemed so happy and full of life.

“I appreciate your willingness to talk with me,” Mac said.

She’d agreed to meet at Elena’s boyfriends’ house, where she was now living. Elena claimed she was little hesitant about going outside, as she wasn’t convinced the nightmare was over. Mac couldn’t blame her.

Where Elena now lived appeared to be like every other suburban home. Next door, children’s toys were in the yard, and nice cars were parked in the driveways. Elena was the mate of Dirk Tilton and Clay Demmers, friends of Sam and Brandon.

Mac sipped the iced tea Elena had fixed for her. “Would you mind going through what happened to you? I know it must be hard, but it would help me. I’m desperate for a clue to Cheryl’s whereabouts.”

Elena inhaled. “Of course. I dream of her almost every night. I feel so sorry for her. I just hope she was half as lucky as I was.” She inhaled. “I’ve told my story so many times, it almost doesn’t seem real anymore.” Elena spoke of Harvey Couch, the terrible man she’d worked for. “Without skills, it was the only job I could get. I thought being secretary to a man who paired families in need of a nanny with young women desiring to come to the United States, a noble job. I was wrong.”

“Did you learn anything about Couch’s drug deals or his human trafficking scheme when you worked there? Is that why you didn’t like him?”

Elena’s eyes widened. “No! I didn’t have a clue. I hated him because Couch would touch me, make me stay late, and do things I thought questionable, but I was brought up to do as I was told.”

Elena’s upbringing had been so different from hers. “Then what?”

“When I arrived at the airport on my way to visit my family, I was asked to enter another room for security purposes. Next thing I knew, someone pricks me in my arm. When I awoke, I was in a cage in a warehouse with some Russian giant as my keeper.”