Pleasured By The Dark & Damaged (10 page)

“Miss Chaney, are you alright?”

His scent, fresh like a pine forest, wafted over me. I inhaled as I nodded.

“My name is Dean Kinson and I’m a Guardian. Were you bitten?”

“No, but one of them assaulted me. He broke my back.”

Moving to my side, he placed expert hands against my backbone. Hands traced electricity over my skin and I gasped.

“Did that hurt?”

“No, it’s just—”

Green eyes stared into mine. I avoided them and settled on his body instead. I should have stuck with the top half of him. At least that didn’t cause the flush that burned my pale skin.

He had the best looking cock I had ever seen in my life. I wanted to wrap my lips around it, and gently nibble that pink head.

“Did he break anything else?”

“Huh?”

“Did he break any other bones?”

I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t think so.”

He examined my scalp, running his fingers through my hair. I shivered under his ministrations.

“Do you know why they wanted you? Why they attacked?”

“I’m the last of the breeding females. They wanted to take me to their Alpha.”

He paused. “They’ll be back then. They won’t stop until they’ve got you.”

My scalp prickled as he slowly removed his fingers from my hair and then cradled my face. I focused on his mouth as it drew nearer, tipping my head back and then, closing my eyes. His lips never touched mine. Instead, his fingers continued over my jaw and down my neck.

“It doesn’t seem like anything is broken, but I don’t think we should take any chances. We’ll transfer you over to Doc right away.”

I kept my eyes closed, unable to look at him.

Another man arrived on the scene. His voice was soft when he spoke. “It’s the Alpha, Guardian Kinson.”

I cracked an eye open as he passed a cell phone to Dean, who took it and answered.

He listened for several minutes.

“Excuse me, Alpha. You want me to bring her there now? I think she may need some medical attention.”

Straining my ears, I managed to catch some of the Alpha’s words.

“Is she mobile?”

He turned to me. “Do you think you can walk, Miss Chaney?”

“I can.”

“She says she is, Sir.”

“Good. Bring her to me now. I’ll give you further instructions upon your arrival.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“And I’ll require your services, Dean. Relinquish command to your subordinate. You’ll be in my employ from now on.”

“Sir, are you sure you want me to do that? Members of the Red Eye Pack attacked Miss Chaney and she says that they’re suffering from Blood Fever. Wouldn’t it be better if I stayed and went after them?”

“No, this is far more important. I need the best guardian we’ve got.”

“Alright, Sir.”

“Get here right away.” He ended the call.

Dean lowered the device from his ear and handed it back to his assistant. “Get us some clothes, Mayer.”

The man gave him a curt nod and hurried off.

More men dressed like Dean arrived on the scene. They began a clean-up detail and soon the bodies were removed.

Dean took my hand and helped me up. I stumbled and he wrapped an arm around my waist. Warm, smooth skin met mine.

“My driver—one of the Red Eyes went after him.”

“We found him.”

“Was he…”

“Dead.”

I slumped against his supporting arm. “Poor Greg.”

“He didn’t suffer.”

“Did you catch the one who killed him?”

“Yes. He was destroyed on scene.”

Mayer brought clothes and while we dressed, Dean gave him command of the guardian task force. Guardian uniforms, though drab, are surprisingly comfortable. I didn’t put the dog collar on.

Dean walked me over to his car, which proved to be a black Humvee. I got into the front and found myself on the way to Alpha Morte’s hotel room once more.

“I’ve never seen you before,” my savior said as we drove.

“I’ve been in Baton Rouge, under quarantine. The Alpha wanted to be assured of my immunity before he accepted me as his mate. Before that, I lived in different parts of that city with my mother and uncle.”

“You split off from the pack?”

“My mother wanted to return to North Dakota. She and my uncle died before we could go though. For some reason, I never caught the disease.”

We arrived at the Bourbon Street Hotel a few minutes later. Several men dressed in black suits stood outside. Though they possessed an uncanny resemblance to secret service agents, these werewolves served as Morte’s personal guard. They were handpicked by the Alpha.

Dean and I were rushed inside and into the elevator. Morte resided in the presidential suite, and once we reached the top floor, the guards led us in.

The room was luxurious. Expensive tapestries hung from the walls and soft, shag carpeting lay underfoot. The full service kitchen stood off to the right and the bedroom off to the left.

Alpha Morte stood at the center of the room. Dressed in a silk robe, black hair combed back and carrying a brandy snifter, he looked more like Hugh Hefner than a ferocious leader. I found it difficult to believe that such a man could order executions at the snap of his fingers. But, personal experience contradicted that.

Morte beckoned Dean forward. My savior knelt at the Alpha’s feet, his head bowed.

Morte took a sip of Brandy and said. “Report.”

“Like I said earlier, Sir, it’s the Red Eyes. Apparently, the plague that struck us last year has also affected them. They are without fertile females.”

“So, they try to steal mine. How did they find out about her?”

“I believe we have a traitor in our midst.”

“A spy?”

Dean nodded.

Morte circled the guardian as he swirled the brandy in his glass.

He glanced up at the men standing near the door. “Leave.”

Without a word the men exited. Morte turned back to Dean.

“Dean, I’m commissioning you as one of my personal guardsmen.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Your first task is to protect my future mate—the Alpha Female.” He gestured toward me. “I apologize for such making such an abrupt and unromantic proposal, my dear. But, I have little time for such pleasantries now.”

Dean met my eyes. I slowly pulled away from his gaze, my heart pounding painfully, and looked up.

“I understand, my Alpha.”

He turned back to Dean. “You told me that the Red Eyes are suffering from Blood Fever?”

“They are. All of the ones we caught and killed tonight stood upright like humans.”

“We’ll have to wipe them all out.”

“Sir, I’ve heard that some werewolves have developed an immunity to the disease. Couldn’t we spare their lives? Dr. Claudius has been working on an anti-virus that would destroy that plague once and for all, and he could use the subjects. Then—”

Morte held up a hand. “They’re too dangerous. If they passed the disease to a human we would have an epidemic on our hands. It would be worse than the one we just came through. This isn’t your worry, Dean. All you need do is protect my fiancée.”

Morte held a hand out to me and I came forward to kneel. Pulling me up before I could do so, he said, “No, my dear. The Alpha Female does not bow to her mate.”

He squeezed my hand and I caught his scent for the first time.

He smelled like shit.

Acid churned in my stomach, saliva collected at the back of my throat and I was filled with an urgent need to puke. Every second that Morte touched me seemed a second too long. I would have spewed my guts over him if he hadn’t released me.

I staggered back as the nausea subsided and blotted my hand on my trouser leg.

“Are you alright, my dear?”

“One of the Red Eyes broke her back. She’s healed, but I think she should see a doctor.”

“She can see Claudius before you two leave town. I want you to take her back to Baton Rouge and hide her there.” He turned and grasped hold of my shoulders. It wasn’t as bad when he touched me through my clothing, but the nausea was still there.

“I must apologize again. When this is over, I promise I will spend every waking minute devoted to you.”

He leaned forward, eyes closed.

His lips were inches from mine and I instinctively bared my teeth. If his tongue came anywhere near mine, I’d tear it out of his mouth.

Luckily, for him, he gave me a chaste peck on my upper lip.

Morte took Dean aside to discuss further instructions with him. While they talked, I watched them.

Dean drew me like a moth to a flame. I stared at him, unable to stop. Sitting on his face came to mind and I imagined spreading my legs over his head, while that beautiful tongue licked and sucked my clit. Perhaps he would scrape it gently with his front teeth and—

I shook my head. Useless fantasies. My life belonged to the Alpha. The guy who smelled like feces and whose very touch made me want to vomit non-stop.

Why did he make me feel that way?

The fact that he was responsible for the death of my father might be part of it. But, not all.

Dean looked toward me. It seemed that the conference was over.

“Take care of her, Dean, and great things will happen for you.” Morte said as he gripped the guardian’s hand.

“I’ll do my best, Sir.”

Our Alpha showed us to the door. His personal guard was outside, their arms crossed behind their backs. All of them stared ahead as we passed.

We entered the elevator. Dean didn’t speak to me during the descent. Like the men we had just left, he stared ahead his hands crossed behind his back.

The first floor registered on the digital readout above the door and Dean suddenly reached for the controls. He pressed the stop button and the elevator came to a halt.

With his back to me, he said, “You’re in estrus, aren’t you?”

“I was. I’ve just finished my cycle.”

“Jesus. It’s just like Morte to do this. Another one of his little tests.”

“What do you mean?”

“He isn’t the wonderful leader you think he is, Miss Chaney. Underneath he’s a paranoid bastard, and that’s coming from someone who actually likes him.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“He doesn’t need me to watch you. Anybody could do that. I should be out fighting Red Eyes, not babysitting.”

“Now, just a minute—“

“For years he’s barred my entering his personal guard. At my last performance review, he said that I’m not loyal enough. I disobeyed the son-of-a-bitch once and he never forgot it.”

“What did you do?”

“It’s not important.”

“It is to me.”

“Why do you care?”

“You…you’re protecting me. I need to know if I can count on you.”

“I just jumped into the window of a speeding car to save your ass. Does that count for anything?”

“Yes…just humor me.”

“You’ve seen what Blood Fever does to true wolf-shifters. Have you ever seen what it does to humans?”

“No.”

“Unlike us shifters, the humans don’t remember what happens to them when they turn into werewolves, and they can only turn during the full moon. They feel guilty about what they’ve done, where we shifters just become more and more psychopathic.”

“Anyway, there was this old human and she was savaged by a shifter who’d been infected. She hadn’t been bitten, just clawed. Morte wasn’t an Alpha then, he was my Beta leader, and I tried to tell him that she wasn’t dangerous, but he ordered her death anyway. I refused to do it.”

“What did he do?”

“He killed her and put me on report. I got demoted, and it took me seven years to work my way back up. Now, he’s put me in charge of you. Wants to see if I can handle it.”

“Is that why you’re suddenly so hostile?” I took a step forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. His body tensed under my fingertips and he spun about, teeth bared.

Trembling, I lowered my hand. “You’re not the only one who’s tempted, Dean.”

Again I reached out to him. This time he allowed me to touch him for a brief moment before he pulled away.

“You don’t know what you’re saying, Cherry.” He pressed the button and the elevator continued its journey to the lobby.

When we exited the elevator, I fell into step beside him. Our arms brushed against each other.

“Stop it,” he growled softly.

“I can’t.”

“Get control of yourself, girl.”

Dropping behind him, I followed. We left the hotel and collected the Humvee before going on our way.

“I think you might have sustained some damage after all.” Dean announced when we turned on Bourbon Street.

“You’re just saying that because I admitted I’m attracted to you.”

“Next you’ll be saying you love me.”

“You know, I think I do.”

“You don’t even know me,” he replied, exasperated.

“My body does.”

“You belong to the Alpha,” he countered.

“I can’t stand him.”

“You just met him. Give it some time, and then you can hate him.”

We pulled up outside a brick building a few moments later. Balconies ran about the outside demarking each floor and exhibiting the Spanish influence in architecture. Dean got out and came around to open my door.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Dr. Claudius’s office.”

“I feel just fine.”

“You’re going in.” He took me by the arm and pulled me toward the front door. Once there, my bodyguard pressed the bell for the doctor’s private residence and waited. The voice that answered cracked with age.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Dean, Doc.”

“Business?”

“Yeah. You need to look at this girl.”

“Why? Does she have crabs or something?”

“No, Doc. She’s the Alpha female.”

“Bring her on up.” The door buzzed and opened. Dean hurried me inside.

Dr. Claudius owned three apartments on the second floor. The first contained his waiting room. The second, his consulting room, and the third housed his private residence. He met us at the door outside the latter.

Our werewolf physician had to be over a hundred years old. Wispy, white hair covered his head, chin and hands. He blinked at me through thick glasses and then led us inside.

“What happened to you?” Claudius asked.

“A werewolf broke my back. It’s fine now.”

“It had Blood Fever, Doc.”

Claudius glanced up at Dean. “I see your concern. We don’t need another plague around here.”

“I don’t have any disease. He just saying this because he thinks there’s something wrong with my head.”

“Is there something wrong with it?”

I shrugged.

“Alright. I’ll give you a once over. Take off your clothes.”

I undressed. Dean stared at me for several seconds and then turned his back.

Claudius examined me, poking and prodding as he went. “You’ve got good strong bones, and judging by your smell, you’re ripe and ready. Where are you from?”

“My people came from Baton Rouge. But, the plague wiped them out. I’m the last.”

Claudius started at this news. He adjusted his glasses. “You’re Cherry Chaney aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Your mother—Dahlia Chaney?”

“Do you know me?”

“I delivered you. Your uncle was a friend…a good one. No wonder the Alpha chose you.”

He moved on to my spine and then my head. “I don’t see any problems here. You can get dressed.” He turned to Dean. “She’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. She might act a little funny the closer she gets to reception, but it’s nothing dangerous.”

“Reception?”

“Didn’t they teach you anything in school? It’s when she’s ready to get pregnant.”

“Doc, I have to ask you this. Do you have any…nose plugs?”

“Can’t take it, huh? That’s the nice thing about being a hundred and ten. You don’t care about that crap.”

Before we left the office, Claudius asked for Dean’s cell number.

“I may need to impart something later,” he explained.

They parted and we returned to the vehicle.

“Are we going to Baton Rouge now?”

“Yeah. The Alpha recommended a place.” Dean’s voice was pinched and nasal. I tried not to smile.

“I don’t think we should go there.”

“Why?”

“If there is a spy, he might find out where we are. I’ve lived in this place for the last year. I know a good place to hide.”

“We’ll stick with the Alpha’s plan. Who knows? All of this might be an elaborate scheme to test my loyalty. If we go off the track, I’ll fail.”

“What are you going to do if you’re wrong?”

“If I am, we’ll go to your place.”