Savage Sanctuary: A Dire Wolves Mission (The Devil's Dires Book 2) (13 page)

They would eliminate the threat.

Levi nearly shook with restrained laughter when he walked into the kitchen behind the two Dires, though. Both men stood awkwardly by the table, watching almost helplessly as Amy moved about. Waiting for something she had no idea she needed to give them.

Direction.

Finally, Amy noticed them standing together and gave them a strange glance. “You can sit, you know.”

Mammon’s eyes shot to Levi for a moment. “No, ma’am, we can’t. But we’d be happy to help you with whatever you need.”

Amy stared, her mouth opening and closing when she couldn’t find the words. The pan she’d been holding drooping as her grip slackened. Finally, to keep her from hurting herself and ruining whatever it was that smelled so damn good, Levi put her out of her misery. He strode across the room and grabbed the pan, setting it back on the stove and nudging her toward the table.

“Sit, Amy. You cooked. Let us at least serve you.”

She shook her head, the movements jerky and off as if she couldn’t quite understand the words. But then she smiled. “Well, that’s a first.”

“Did Leviathan forget the manners we taught him?” Phego growled and pointed a warning finger. Protective already. “She’s your mate, son. Not your maid.”

Levi put his hands up before moving to pull said mate to his chest. Using her to shield himself, but also taking advantage of her closeness to press his hips against that ass. He couldn’t resist it. “I didn’t forget the rules, man. She made me one meal, and I cleaned up after we ate. Otherwise, we’ve been on the road the whole time. It’s hard to show manners when your food comes through the window of your truck.”

Phego glanced from Levi to Amy and back again before giving them a nod. “Fine. But don’t let us hear about you slacking.”

“Never.” Levi kissed the top of Amy’s head and directed her to the table, pulling out her chair. “Sit, please.”

And she did, still looking sort of shell-shocked. Growing up with twelve brothers must have really set her mind about how men would treat her. Good thing for her, she mated into the Dires.

Levi served the food family style before settling in at the table next to his mate. He even scooched his chair over to be closer to her, needing the comfort of her presence to relax. His brothers were here, and they’d do everything they could to help him keep her safe. He knew this, but he still worried. Somehow, the human tracking Amy and her family had gotten past the pack, his mate, and his brothers. Not as successfully as certain subsets of soldiers probably could, but enough to be seen as a real threat. That wasn’t normal.

Still, his brothers would help. Already, they were falling under Amy’s charms. He’d never heard so many pleases and thank yous in his life, especially not from Mammon. But the shifter seemed smitten with his curvy mate. He praised her food and laughed at her jokes, used his napkin and even kept his elbows off the table. The charmer.

“Can I get you boys anything else?” Amy asked as she rose from the table. The three men stood in response, earning a raised eyebrow from the female.

“No, thank you, ma’am,” Mammon answered.

Levi rolled his eyes at Mammon’s sucking up. “We’ll take care of cleanup. Why don’t you go get ready for bed? I know you’re tired.”

She hummed and nodded, looking sleepy but happy. “You’re joining me, right?”

“Of course.” Levi gave her a quick hug and a kiss to the top of the head. “Just give me a few minutes to talk business first.”

She headed down the hall with a small wave to the other two men. Levi made sure to smile until she was gone, waiting for her to close the bedroom door behind her before dropping the expression.

Time to get to work.

“What’s doing?”

The three sat back at the table, food forgotten. There was a different vibe in the air, a specific tension that came from the shifters when their attention switched to business matters. It was as if the energy of the cabin knew they’d gone into military mode and were solely focused on strategy and planning.

“It’s time to bait the fucker,” Mammon said, keeping his voice low. “He’s a sneaky SOB and keeps slipping past us. We need to draw him out.”

Levi definitely didn’t like the thought of that. “Bait him with what?”

Phego cocked his head, probably at the growl in his brother’s voice, but he stayed silent. Waiting. Mammon at least had the decency to look at the floor. A fact that made Levi’s stomach drop. There was only one reason his brothers would be acting that way. The logical choice of what—or rather whom—to use as bait was an obvious one, years of strategic training and war methodology telling him exactly what need to be done. But strategy was now colored by the fact that the logical bait in question was his mate. The only one he’d ever have.

Strategy and logic be damned. “No fucking way.”

Mammon sighed. “Kid, there is no—”

“I’m not your fucking kid, and I said no.” Levi jumped to his feet and stormed toward the hall, ready to leave this shit behind him. “Call me when you come up with a better plan.”

“He’ll hunt her forever.” Phego’s words drew Levi up short. “He’ll hunt her every second of every day until he gets her or we get him. This guy isn’t some normal stalker, and I don’t think he’s alone. We believe he knows she’s a shifter, and he’s been prepping her for his plans. Training her to think of him as kind so he can manipulate her into doing what he wants. We fucked up his plans when we took her away from him, and now he’s out for vengeance and to take back what he sees as his.”

“She’s not his,” Levi said, the snarl behind his words filling the kitchen with a warning his brothers didn’t need nor deserve.

“You know that, she knows that, and we know that. But this guy?” Phego paused, his silence making Levi turn. His face serious as he stared at his brother. “He doesn’t give a fuck.”

Levi clenched his fists, ready to punch something. “He’s a fucking human. A kindergarten teacher. How dangerous can he be?”

Phego didn’t even have to look at his phone to begin ticking items off. “He’s not military, but he’s trained in survival and tracking. He hasn’t hired mercenaries, but he’s somehow been able to convince other humans to join him. He’s charismatic, or Amy wouldn’t have been so upset by his deception. And he is completely, utterly obsessed with her if the scent trails he left are any indication, which I think they are.”

Mammon grunted his agreement. “He won’t ever give up, and he’s building small armies around him to make it harder to determine the true threat. You’ve got two choices, Levi. Bait him to draw him out and kill him quickly. Or keep running.”

Levi sighed, gritting his teeth. Knowing Phego was right, but hating to admit it. Still, he wasn’t stupid.

“Call in Thaus. If we do this, I want him beside me.” He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the truth of what they were about to do. “I want him beside Amy.”

And then he headed for the bedroom. For his mate.

T
wo showers
in one day wasn’t Amy’s norm, but after two days without, she felt the need to catch up. When she was finished in the ensuite bathroom, she hung up her towel and headed to the bedroom. She wanted to find one of Levi’s shirts to sleep in, something soft and comfortable that would smell like him. The need to join with him, to reconnect physically, burned through her. Her body practically itched for more of her mate, but with his brothers in the same house, she wasn’t sure if she’d get him anytime soon.

But Levi was already in the bedroom when she emerged from the steam-filled bathroom. She froze in midstep, unable to move, barely able to breathe. Just the sight of him made her heart race, made her arousal spike. Damn, she wanted him. Needed him, really. The mating imperative was controlling her in a way nothing ever had.

Amy assumed he’d say something about the fact that she wore nothing but a towel, or that he’d do something about it. She could almost picture him stripping the towel from her still-damp body and tossing her on the bed. Could practically feel his lips on her breast as he chased a water droplet or two.

But instead, Levi stood by the door, growling softly. Staring, sure, but not really
at
her. She wasn’t even sure he saw her. He scowled at some unknown thought, his eyes angry as he glared past her. This man was not her Levi, not the one who whispered sweet things to her and joked about his prowess in bed. No, this was soldier Levi, the man she’d first met in her kitchen, the one who’d thrown her over his shoulder to steal her away. The one who’d scared her.

Something was very, very wrong.

“Levi?” Amy kept her voice soft as she took a single step forward, but Levi’s snarl shoved her back.

“Not yet.” Clipped. Harsh. Demanding. Definitely not the man she’d come to know outside of the soldier. So she waited, cold and dripping in her towel but patient. Her mate needed a moment, and she’d give that to him. Give him a thousand moments if it meant tucking the soldier away and getting the man she was falling for back. Even if every second caused her worry to double, then triple.

It took far longer than Amy would have liked, but eventually, his shoulders lost their stiffness and his eyes softened. And yet, she waited, watching for more. The biggest sign that he’d tucked the soldier away for the time being came when he stopped growling. And still, she waited. He’d made no move toward her, given her no sign that she was welcomed or wanted. She’d give him more time, knowing he still needed it. He’d let her know when he was ready for her; that, she could be sure of. She refused to push him.

When he finally took a deep breath and spoke, the words were soft. His voice almost defeated, belying the strength behind his statement. “I’d never let anything happen to you.”

“I know,” she replied, anxiety slipping around her throat. His eyes locked on hers, still angry, still hard, but something else burned there. Something more along the lines of fear.

Levi pushed off the wall, stalking closer, not releasing her from his stare. “This guy, he’s slippery.”

That sounded ominous. “Okay.”

“He’s been able to hide from you, your pack, my brothers. He’s snuck up on us once…he’s not going to be easy to flush out.”

He looked so fierce and yet so scared. An odd combination for sure, and one that didn’t quite fit. But then the pieces began to fall together, a picture emerging in her mind of what had made her mate so pissed off and worried that he could barely speak.

A picture that honestly scared Amy more than she cared to admit. “You want to use me as bait.”

“Fuck no, I don’t.” He grabbed her by the hips, his hands rough, his grip needy. Pulling her against him. Clinging to her in a way that reeked of desperation. “Jesus, doll. That’s the very last thing I want. But my brothers think it’s the best course of action, and it’s probably the only way we’ll get this guy on our terms. Otherwise…”

Amy closed her eyes, waiting for what she knew was coming. Surrendering to the need to hear the words when Levi couldn’t find his voice. “Otherwise, he’ll never stop, and we’ll have to keep running from him until he finally screws up.”

Levi’s whimper gutted her, had her gripping him harder, wishing there was another way. But she knew why, she understood the reasoning—they couldn’t make a life together with this guy chasing them.

Amy pulled on every thread of bravery she’d earned throughout her life, every bit of strength that came from being the daughter of an Alpha, the Omega of a pack, and the sister of twelve older brothers. She gathered the determination she’d cultivated as she’d pushed to leave her pack, the faith in herself she’d fed by starting her own business, and the strength she’d earned refusing to give in when things had scared her.

And then she shrugged. “So I have to be bait.”

Amy died a little when Levi looked away, hiding his eyes from her, though not quite soon enough. That flash of pain on his face, that fury and helplessness—it killed her. Made her ache with a need to soothe him. She ran a hand down his cheek until he finally met her gaze again, until the green color she’d grown so attached to focused back on her.

“I trust you,” she whispered, infusing every syllable with her faith. But sometimes faith wasn’t enough.

“Maybe you shouldn’t.”

“Maybe you should trust yourself a little more.” She wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him down to press her forehead to his. Needing him close. “Would you hurt me, Levi?”

“Never.” A whisper of sound, a promise that screamed.

“Would you let anyone else hurt me?”

His growl was fierce. “No fucking way.”

The tone—the claim in his voice—made bits of her come alive. Important bits. The ones that hadn’t been taken care of in days. She’d been told sex was a stress reliever, a way of letting go of your problems and giving in to nothing but instinct and sensation. She was about to find out firsthand.

She pulled out of his arms, turning her back to him. Looking at him over her shoulder as she crept toward the bed. “Do you trust me, Levi?”

“Of course.”

“Then trust yourself. You’d never do anything I didn’t want you to or that would put me in danger.” With a simple flick of her wrist, she pulled the towel from her body and dropped it to the floor. Completely naked, the only sensation on her flesh the feel of his eyes watching her, she crawled across the bed. Kept each move slow and sensual, rolling smoothly like the glide of honey on skin.

Levi stepped closer, his thighs forcing her calves to spread to accommodate him, his hand coming to rest on her lower back. “I hate that you’d be in danger.”

“You’ll be with me, right?” She stared down at the comforter, holding herself perfectly still for him. Wanting more than his simple touch but knowing he needed a minute. Knowing she did, too. They had things to say. Promises to make.

“Every second.” He ran a hand up the length of her spine, pressing her shoulders down. She followed that subtle direction, turning her head to place her cheek against the mattress. Putting her ass in the air. Opening herself for his observation.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” One hand still flat between her shoulders, he slid the other down the length of her back and over her ass, stopping to grab and smack lightly. Amy kept her head pressed against the mattress, letting him see. Letting him touch as she shivered and clutched at the bedding. Wanting him in a way that was almost painful.

But Levi never disappointed her. He slipped his fingers inside of her, plunging in and out slowly. Teasingly, almost. The wet sounds of her body taking part of his making her shake with desire, making him growl. The hand on her shoulders disappeared only to find a home on her thigh, wrapping around with a grip just shy of painful. He pulled, yanking her to the edge of the bed, putting her right where he wanted her. Never breaking the rhythm of the fingers inside her.

“I won’t let anyone else touch you,” he whispered, his growl adding depth to his words and making her clench with need. “I
will
keep you safe.”

“Why?” she asked, pleaded, really. She knew the reason, but she needed to hear it. Felt as if he needed to say it, too.

He ruthlessly pressed on her clit with his knuckle as he added another finger inside. She trembled, unable to hold still but trying so hard not to pull away. Not to hump his hand, either, though she wanted to. Wanted to do whatever it took to get off at that moment. He had her keyed up, completely on edge. And she wanted to fall.

His hand disappeared from her thigh, and the sound of him unfastening his jeans broke the heavy silence between them. A sound that made Amy sigh and sag. Soon, just a few more seconds. But those seconds ran long, the time it took for Levi to free himself seeming near endless. Levi grunted as if irritated, as if he couldn’t wait a moment longer. And maybe he couldn’t, because with his jeans still hugging his thighs, he yanked his fingers from between her legs and flipped her on her back. Crawled over her and pinned her down. Their hands joined by her head, his heavy dick lined up and ready.

“Why will I keep you safe? Because you’re mine.” He ground against her, sliding just the tip inside before pulling away. “Only mine.”

Which was exactly what she needed to hear. “Yours.”

Amy gasped as he thrust inside with a groan, trying to pull her hands away so she could grab and touch and claw. But Levi wouldn’t release her, wouldn’t give her an inch to move from where he wanted her. Amy lay completely at his mercy, and she loved it.

He was so deep, so thick and hard inside of her. Every withdrawal had her begging him for more, every push in causing her to cry or growl. Nothing mattered but the feel of him on her, in her, the acceptance of his body ruling hers. She couldn’t feel anything but him. Couldn’t hear or see anything but his sounds, his face. His every breath owned her, his every move making her want more. In that moment, he was her world, and she was his. Their connection solid, exclusionary, and deep. Exactly what she’d wanted.

The sex was quick and rough. A reclaiming of sorts. The feel of Levi’s clothes against her skin, knowing he was too impatient to strip them off, was more than enough to push her to the point of no return in record time. The deep thrusts he gave her, the way he stroked in and out with purpose, made her rise that much faster. Amy came first, clinging to Levi’s shirt and sighing his name as her body clenched around him. He lost his rhythm when she arched into him, jackhammering her into the mattress. Knocking the headboard into the wall until he came with a groan. Until he cursed and hissed and shook with the pleasure of his surrender.

Levi collapsed on top of her, the two cuddled in a sort of obscene, sweaty puppy pile. Exactly as they both desired.

Amy ran her fingers through his hair for several minutes before whispering, “Better now?”

He sighed, rolling slightly to take his weight off her, moving down the mattress enough to rest his forehead against her chest. To nuzzle her breasts. To lick a trail along the top of them.

“I hate that you’ll be in danger.” He wrapped his lips around a nipple, drawing it into his mouth after two swipes of his tongue.

She arched into his touch, groaning softly as tingles shot through to her spine. “I won’t be. You’ll be watching out for me.”

He sighed and pressed his hips into hers, already growing hard again. “I know, but it’s not how I would have wanted this to play out.”

Amy wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him up the length of her, peppering his face and lips with soft kisses before smiling. “I’ll make sure to grab my skillet. It seemed to work on you.”

He growled and rolled with her, ending with her on top. “How very
Tangled
of you.”

That made her pause. “You’ve seen
Tangled
?”

He shrugged, not looking the least bit embarrassed. “I like Disney movies. The animation is kickass.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She pushed up to a sitting position and settled on his hips, straddling him, rocking slowly as she took him inside her again. On her terms this time. Damn, he felt so good like this. Slid so much deeper, it seemed. Levi thrust up, lifting her, knocking her off-balance. Amy fell back, putting her hands on his thighs to brace herself, groaning as the new position forced her to feel all sorts of new sensations.

Levi chuckled all low and husky. “Oh, now this could be fun.”

Amy glanced down the length of her body to where they were joined, watching as his erection disappeared inside her. Fuck, that was hot. The position left her breasts and hips open for Levi, giving him room to play with the parts of her that begged for his attention. Room he took full advantage of. He pressed his thumb against her clit, rubbing harder with every stroke until he made her shudder. Made her clench and moan. Made her bounce up and down on his dick as she chased the release that was already so close.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel. You’ve let down your hair.” Levi pulled on the ends of her hair, softly at first. The pressure growing firmer as she rode him. And fuck, that little bit of control, that tiny bit of demand, was even hotter than watching him slide inside her.

She groaned and sat deeper, riding his hand and his dick. Already so close to coming, she could barely keep up a rhythm without his help. “I’ll play the part of Rapunzel if you’ll be my Flynn Ryder.”

Levi grinned and grabbed her thighs as if she might need the extra support. And knowing him, she did.

“I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice.” His thrusts grew stronger, deeper, his movements making her curl over and moan as pleasure shot straight through her. As the depth and the speed and the constant assault against her clit finally pushed her over the edge and let her crash around him. “Here comes the smolder.”

And boy, could that man smolder.