Primal Claim (20 page)

Dr. Garreth finished patching up Mercury’s gaping wound from the inside out. “He’ll have minimal scarring, thanks to the saline. You may quit now.” He nimbly grabbed the bag from her and helped her to a chair to sit next to Mercury, like he had much experience helping shell-shocked family around injured loved ones.

“Now, I shall wash and help the next patient.”

“They’re going to make you pay, dude. You bled everywhere,” Bennett was giving Mercury shit about the rookies, Jace and Kaitlyn, having to clean up the aftermath of the rescue. “What really pissed them off was Garreth’s bloody footprints.”

“Not my fault he walked through all those glass shards,” Mercury grumbled, still feeling rough. If a shifter was lucky enough to recover from the toxicity, the extreme hangover for days after almost did them in. Dani’s warm body curled in next to his mostly uninjured side helped numb the pain. “Where’s the commander?”

“Jace and Dr. Garreth are filling him in on what they’ve found so far on the laptop. The mad doctor you killed was arrogant enough that he kept much more detailed notes than Madame G probably approved of. The thumb drive y’all grabbed was priceless.”

“What’d it say?”

“I can’t understand that shit. Dr. Garreth seemed to get it though. He’s crazy smart.”

Dani perked up. “He has a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology. That’s why Sigma wanted him – he worked for the Lycan Council. Apparently, they’re a little more proactive than we thought. I gave him all of my mom’s texts and notes from her genetic research. Maybe he can find a use for them.”

Mercury snuggled his mate a little closer, relishing how her warmth chased away the lingering silver burn. “I thought he was a
doctor
doctor.”

“Nah.” Bennett chimed in, “he worked in emergency rooms as an aide for years, studying human medicine so he could bring the information back to his clan. That’s how he was recruited by the Lycan Council and sent to school.”

“So he checked out?” Mercury hoped so. He liked Dr. Garreth and he’d be a kick-ass asset to their team, but if they couldn’t trust him…

“Check it, Merc. He freely admitted to swearing himself to us to keep out of the council’s reach. Like us, he started to suspect some dirty shit going down with those crusty old bastards and that’s how Sigma got to him and knew where to find Kerrice to use against him.”

“And how’s she?”

Bennett turned grim. “Cassie’s working with her, slowly earning her trust to help her.”

“She’ll be successful, no doubt. So now it’s Guardians versus crusty old bastards?” Dani twined her fingers through Mercury’s. He stroked his thumb against her silky, soft skin and tried to keep from imagining other silky, soft places he could stroke; didn’t need Bennett seeing him tent his shorts.

“Haven’t heard from the twins yet. I have no question they’ll find any betrayal and how deep it goes. But they were ordered to stay off the radar and that’ll be impossible once one of them opens their mouth and offends everyone in a three block radius. It’ll take time.” Bennett rubbed the back of his neck and stretched. He’d been hovering by Mercury’s bedside almost as much as Dani. “Until then, we take down Madame G and go after the rest of Sigma.”

“What about the young shifter I rescued? Talking yet?”

Bennett’s mouth set in a grim line. “No. He only wrote his name, Parrish, and that he was sixteen. He’s not deaf, but won’t talk.”

“Not even mentally?”

“Collapsed in the corner in a ball, rocking back and forth when we tried. I think we’ll all need to learn some sign language. Master Bellamy’s working with him, though.”

If anyone can get through to the kid, it’d be the master.

Mercury thought back to the first sensation that rolled through him when he caught the young male’s scent. “Anyone tell him yet?”

“That he’s a future Guardian? No, Master Bellamy felt it was better to wait. Get him better, find out where he’s from, and then start training. Duty calls. See ya, bro.”

Mercury heard the same summons as Bennett from Commander Fitzsimmons. They were improving so much maybe they wouldn’t need to text each other anymore. It’d make field missions pretty cake without the extra radio gear.

“Was I supposed to hear that, too?” Dani sat up, leaning over him, her hair brushing against his face.

He twined the soft strands around his fingers. “Probably not. We’re not sure how much we can hone our skills. Master Bellamy’s theory is we’re getting our control back as we find our mates.”

She smiled a bit forlornly down at him. “I hope I don’t lose too much after the baby’s born. It’ll be too hard to keep up with you guys.”

“It’ll be easier when we’re officially mated. How about tomorrow?” Caressing the side of her face, he brought her down for a kiss.

Her lips parted in surprise at his question and he shamelessly used the opportunity to plunder her sweet warmth, sweeping his tongue inside. She instantly melted against him with a little purr and stroked her tongue against his.

All too soon, she pulled back with a hand on his chest. “Are you up for the ceremony? Or more importantly,” her voice dropped a husky octave, “the mating?”

Was he up for it?
He’d been up for her since he regained consciousness, but her concern for him wouldn’t allow him past first base. She said he needed to
rest
so he could
heal
. Then he had proven her right by passing out again.

“Let’s practice right now.”

Halting him with an infuriating hand on his chest, she gave him a placating look. “You still haven’t gotten out of the infirmary. We’re not having sex here.”

“Okay. Let’s go to the cabin.”

This time when she stopped him with the hand, he snatched it off his chest and nipped at her palm, then licked over the nips, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

When Dani’s cheeks flushed and he heard the catch in her breath, he was ready to grab her caveman-style and head to their cabin.

“Three more days,” she said firmly.

Son of a bitch
! “Now.”

Her mouth quirked up. “Two and that’s final. We know the commander is ready to mate us and has the dagger thingy.”

“Gladdus.”

“That thing. And I’d like a nice dress. Kaitlyn volunteered to go out shopping for it. But most of all, I’d like you fully recovered.”

“I can be fully recovered tomorrow.”

“Not according to Dr. Garreth.” When he opened his mouth to argue, she talked over him. “I don’t want to get cheated out of a ceremony. I want one thing between us to be traditional and proper.”

Ah. Now Mercury got it. She needed the security. He was afraid when he filled them all in on Madame G’s claims that he could choose his own mate that Dani was insecure despite her “Damn right you chose me” response. He was worried she’d lost confidence in them and would keep putting off their mating ceremony, but she was worried they would rush it and risk his healing, thereby risking their mating.

“Fine.” He wrapped her in a big bear hug. One where she wouldn’t feel pressured by being lined up with his ever present erection. “But once the ceremony’s done, I will thoroughly pillage your body.”

She relaxed over him. “Counting on it.”

She was beautiful. The sun was filtering through the trees, its rays landing on her, giving her an almost unearthly glow. Dani’s dark eyes sparkled with affection and excitement, her dark chocolate hair swept up into a soft bun that he planned on undoing minutes after this ceremony was done. The feminine, lacy pearl-colored gown she wore with casual grace would be stripped off before her long locks could cascade over her shoulders. An imperceptible growl began deep in his chest at the thought of officially claiming his mate.

“Dude,” Bennett chided, “can ya wait? I don’t think Dani will care for the old way of completing the bonding ritual in front of witnesses.”

Dani’s eyes widened as the meaning sunk in, and Mercury scowled at his friend and partner.

Commander Fitzsimmons cleared his throat and the Guardians snapped to attention. Mercury faced his lovely mate. Other than the commander, they were the only ones on the porch of his cabin. The rest of the Guardians, along with Cassie, Irina, and Dr. Garreth were below on the ground witnessing the ceremony. Afterward, they would filter to the lodge for a celebration that Mercury and Dani may or may not attend. Probably not. Mercury had plans.

Kerrice and Parrish did not attend. Kerrice was still leery of strangers and preferred isolation. She agreed to intense counseling with Cassie and then had plans to return to her clan despite Dr. Garreth’s apprehension. The pale-haired, pale-skinned Parrish preferred being alone with an Xbox, and since he was still mentally recovering, they let him be. Once they were all fluent in sign language, including Parrish, then it was game on and he’d start his training.

Commander Fitzsimmons ran through the vows, the revenant tone in his voice bespoke the significance of the act. A hush fell over the crowd as the ceremonial dagger was slid between their clasped hands and drawn back out smoothly and rapidly. Mercury gripped Dani’s hand tightly, willing any pain to be absorbed by him as their blood mingled, bonding her life force eternally to his.

The small crowd waited with breathless anticipation while the ceremony drew to a close. When the commander said the final words, Mercury yanked Dani into his arms where his grin smashed into her grin, and they both laughed as they melted into each other.

Sliding Dani back down his length so they could suffer the delay of the congratulatory backslaps and handshakes, they graciously accepted well wishes from their closest companions before Mercury swung Dani up and mentally commanded his cabin door to open.

He quickly crossed the threshold with his bonded mate and closed the door to Bennett’s “time to party” announcement. Going straight to the bedroom, Dani was already unbuttoning his black dress shirt.

“I thought that ceremony was never going to end,” she said breathlessly.

“You’re telling me,” he growled, capturing her mouth again.

Tongues tangled while hands worked between bodies. She finished with his buttons, sliding the shirt back and down his arms, while he pulled her delicate dress up.

Somehow, Mercury managed to maneuver around hands aiming for the clasp to his pants, and pulled her dress completely off. He got a good look at his almost bare mate.

Holy
.
Shit
.

How had she snuck those past him?

And would she be pissed if he ripped them off?

Pausing with the fly of his pants, which was proving to be difficult with the pressure straining against the zipper from behind, she looked up through her eyelashes at him.

“Do you like?”

“Fuck me. I likey.”

The soft, satin swells of her breasts were cupped by a small scraps of lace with a fragile clasp in between that had an alarmingly low life expectancy. High and plump, her breast size already increasing with pregnancy, they defied gravity. The flimsy fabric was for decoration, its only functionality to incite painful lust in an already strung out male.

Eyes traveled down her toned, firm body to the even smaller scrap of white panties. He could see
everything
, but the material still symbolized a barrier to what he wanted most. What had been calling to him for weeks since he’d been taken. Almost two weeks, but it had felt like
forever
.

“These pants need to be off.” Before she could tug at his waistband again, he ripped his pants off while devouring her feminine curves with his eyes.

Picking her up one last time before they never left the bed for days, he spread her out on the bedspread, stretching out over her. Settling gently down on top of her, he saw her bun was still holding together.

Reaching up, he plucked the hair tie out and fanned out the dark brown strands.

“You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.” She was his. She left everything she knew for their child and trusted him before she even knew him with a life she held above her own.

“You’re pretty magnificent yourself.” Her hands roamed his body, obviously enjoying tracing the planes and ridges of his muscles. He aimed to please.

“But am I the
most
magnificent?”

Loving the twinkle in her eye, she laughed. “It’s so obvious, I don’t need to say it.”

He nipped at bottom lip. “I love you, Daniella.”

She cupped his face with both hands. “I love you too, Mercury Santini.”

His new name rolled smoothly over her tongue. He finally had a last name. A name that wasn’t made up just for him because no one knew his origins. A name he earned by getting the woman who blew his dreams away to fall in love with him.

Their lips met for a tender kiss. Her citrusy scent teased his nose and he had to have more. Kissing a trail down her neck, feeling her shivers under his hands, he blazed a path down to the useless lingerie snap. With a flick it was gone and her rosy peaks were bared for his mouth.

Her hands stroked through his hair as his tongue swirled, tracing each nipple, like he was committing every inch of her to memory. However, there was very little of her left that hadn’t been permanently imprinted on his brain.

When he felt his mate getting impatient, rocking her hips into him, he continued his trail down to her delicious warmth.

Damn those few square inches of lace. One flick of his wrist and they were gone.

“You didn’t like them?” Dani inquired innocently, but the huskiness of her desire told him she also thought they were better off.

“Fucking loved them, but they had to go.”

She gave a sexy chuckle that dissolved in a slight gasp when he used his tongue to tunnel through her feminine folds to find her most sensitive bud. She was slick, all for him. All his.

Drawing her bottom closer to him, he held her close and used his tongue to swirl her delicate nub down to her tight opening. He held her tightly when she almost bucked up off the bed when he invaded her, tasting the molten honey her body was weeping for him.

Liiiicking back up to her bud, he swirled and nibbled while she cried out, but she was held firmly by him. She was so close to exploding he could have finished her in seconds, but wanted to prepare her for his body’s ardent invasion. He was barely hanging on, his determination to please his mate was the only thing distracting him from releasing just as quickly.