Savage Sanctuary: A Dire Wolves Mission (The Devil's Dires Book 2) (8 page)

W
hen Amy finally fell asleep
, Levi dropped the easygoing attitude. He’d been trying to hide his worry beneath a smile and some good conversation, not that doing either of those things was difficult with Amy around. She was funny, a little quirky, and downright interesting. But she was also nervous, and he didn’t want to worry her more by letting her see mission-Levi. He’d had to sneak looks in the rearview to check for headlights, had to monitor traffic while also trying hard to concentrate on her, had to ignore the pings on his cell from his team as they moved closer to her pack.

This whole being mated thing was trickier than he’d thought it would be.

He checked the rearview again for any sign of a tail. Finding the road behind him dark and empty did nothing to ease his mind, though. Their getaway had gone too smoothly, been too easy. He was completely unable to relax even without a direct threat, but he wasn’t sure if it was the mission as a whole or the Amy-being-his-mate part of it that was making him so edgy. Not that it mattered, really. He needed all threats to her eliminated. There was no way he’d relax until his brothers figured out what the fuck was going on and made sure it was clear to bring her back home.

Her home, not his since he didn’t officially have one. Had never wanted one. And shit, wasn’t that going to be an interesting conversation at some point? Especially when he admitted he was a breed of wolf long thought to be extinct. One that had been feared even by their own kind at times throughout history. That’d go well for sure.

As he crossed the border into West Virginia, heading for a safe house he knew and particularly enjoyed, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. At the same time, Amy sighed in her sleep and shifted forward to a position lying down on the seat, her feet now pointed at the door and her head… Shit. As if her sprawled beside him wasn’t bad enough, now she had her head awfully close to where he’d like it to be.

Quit thinking with your cock.

He swiped to answer the call via speaker and turned down the volume. “What’s doing?”

At the sound of his voice, Amy snuggled closer. Rested her head on his thigh, her hand just above his knee. And fuck his life, he could feel her hot breath through the fabric of his jeans. His cock positively ached for something, anything. Some kind of rub or kiss or friction. He shifted his hips to attempt to move into a more comfortable position and took a deep breath. For the first time in his very long life, he was going to have to talk mission stuff with one of his brothers while sporting a hard-on. Wonderful.

“We’re halfway through Alabama,” Mammon answered, throwing a tiny cupful of ice water over his raging libido. “Where are you?”

Even as distracted as he was, Levi knew better than to be specific over the phone. “Heading to a safe house. Dante has the coordinates.”

“Good, good. Make sure you let us know when you’re there. How’s the female?”

Said female sighed and clenched her hand on his thigh, squeezing him. Levi coughed back his growl and shifted in his seat again. Fuck, his zipper was not helping the pain level of his cock.

“Fine. She’s…fine.”

But she was so much more than fine.

Mammon sighed. “Please tell me you’re not going to do your usual and try to get in her pants.”

“Negative,” Levi bit out, his irritation with his brother nearly enough to counteract the fact that his mate’s head was basically in his lap. Nearly, but not quite. Getting in her pants was not exactly where his mind was at right then. “I’m full mission.”

That was an outright lie, and the first he’d ever told to Mammon, but the bastard would understand once he knew the full situation. Once Levi told all the Dires about Amy being his mate. They’d accepted it when Bez had found his mate Sariel; they’d accept Amy. But he wasn’t ready to let that little secret out of the bag just yet. Once they knew, the boys would be on them like white on rice, knowing the mating imperative would cause Levi to lose focus. They’d charge in and try to take over, to keep the two of them apart. That just wouldn’t do. He wanted them far away for the moment. At least until he actually acknowledged her as his mate for the first time.

Fuck, the timing on this could
not
be worse.

“Right.” Mammon didn’t sound convinced. “Look, man. If you decide to fuck her, at least be discreet about it. We don’t need some backwoods pack flying off the handle because you can never keep your dick in your pants.”

Levi snatched up the phone, taking it off speaker with a growl. “Jesus, man.”

“Try to deny it, kid. Arizona, California, Alberta, twice in Ohio…and those are just the recent ones. Remember that time you started an all-out pack war in Brazil?”

“That wasn’t my fault—how the fuck was I supposed to know she was some token virgin sacrifice? We didn’t even speak the same language.” He blanched, hoping like hell Amy had slept through that. He’d never been ashamed of his behavior before, never really given it much thought, but now… Well, now he had a mate. And that fact changed everything, including how he saw his past behavior. What had he been thinking?

Mammon snorted a laugh. “Point proven. Just behave for a few days, okay? We’ll be pulling up on pack land in a couple hours. Don’t make me have to dig for excuses for your playboy ways, and don’t fucking embarrass us.”

“Whatever, jackass.” Levi ended the call and tossed the phone into the slot under the radio. He was completely screwed. True, he liked the ladies. He liked them a lot and always had, and they certainly seemed to like him in return. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t accomplish his mission.

Plus, Amy was more than just some random. She was his mate, his fated partner. The days of casual sex for the sake of it were over. With a single look, he’d become a one-woman man, and he couldn’t wait to get to the safe house so he and Amy could begin building some sort of friendship. Or something. He hoped for more than friendship, much more, but he’d go at her pace. She was his angel, his piece of heaven, and he would never do anything to ruin that connection. He also would never do anything that would put her at risk.

As he turned off the highway, Amy sighed and rolled. Her forehead rested almost perfectly against his cock, her hand on his hip. She was safe, warm, comfortable, and making him practically weep with need. The perfect combination of heaven and hell, right in that moment. If Levi was being honest, he had to admit he wanted in her pants—absolutely—but that wasn’t all he wanted. Not even close.

He wanted so much more. So much that he’d never given a second thought to. He wanted everything with her.

But first, he had a few hours of driving to do to get her out of the danger zone.

T
he little cabin
in the woods seemed charming but oddly terrifying at the same time. Amy was alone…with Levi…who was her mate. The man she knew almost nothing about.
Alone
. They would be in close company for a couple of days, he’d said.
Alone
. Just the two of them in this quiet, quaint little cabin that looked as if it had been pulled right from some sort of dream honeymoon catalog.

Did she mention they were going to be alone?

She had to get her mind off of…things. Dirty, sexual things. The sorts of things that would make a few days alone with a handsome, sensual man fly by.

“You coming?”

Amy jerked, looking up to find Levi standing on the porch with the door open. He had a smile on his face, one that made her heart race and her panties wet. This was it…time to head inside and figure out a way to survive the next few days without throwing herself at him. Not until they’d figured a few things out, at least.

Taking a deep breath and praying she had the willpower to resist him, she walked into the house. Her shoulder brushed his as she passed him, and he released the sexiest, most heart-stopping growl she’d ever heard. She wanted to live in that growl, to hear it against her skin. Feel it between her legs.

Willpower…destroyed.

Still, she managed to walk deeper into the house even as her legs shook with the power of her need. Managed to walk past him without throwing him down on the floor and straddling those thick thighs. Or his face.

Being alone with him was going to kill her.

The inside of the cabin was just as adorable as the outside, warm and inviting with a golden glow to the few lights dotting the space. Homey. It almost seemed wrong to look around and imagine all the possibilities for sex on the cushy furniture. And the slick tables. Even the rocking chair ignited her imagination. She was officially a goner.

“Who lives here?” Amy ran her finger over the table by the door, trying to determine if it was strong enough to support her weight. It was a good height, but the spindly legs probably couldn’t take the abuse of a man like Levi. Though, she could just bend over and use it as support. That position had possibility.

“I do…sometimes. I like the Appalachians.”

Amy spun, having totally forgotten she’d actually asked him a question. Levi froze, his nostrils flaring, holding on to the door as if it were some sort of life preserver. Shit, there was no way to hide the level of arousal she was at. Not from a fellow shifter.

Swallowing down the humiliation of knowing he could
smell
her, Amy asked, “You…own this place?”

His stare made her knees weak, and the darkness of his eyes wasn’t helping. She didn’t know if she wanted him to mention her need or not, didn’t know if she’d rather he acknowledge it or ignore it. All she knew was she wanted him to keep looking at her just like that. And maybe, just maybe, come a little closer.

“No.” His voice came out more wolf than human, more growl than not. And she liked that…a lot. “President Zenne owns this place, but my pack is allowed to stay in any of his properties in between missions.” Levi finally crept closer, his eyes holding hers in their grip. He paused next to her, not leaning in, but close. Really close. Enough so that his arm brushed against hers, making her shiver. “This is just a place I come back to when I need time alone. The mountains are stunning, the place is quiet, and there’s a peace I find here that doesn’t come from anywhere else. It’s…comfortable.”

Amy swallowed hard, staring up at him. Trying so damn hard to control her breathing. But his voice enticed her, his closeness aroused her, and the truth behind his words nearly made her light-headed.

“You brought me to your home.”

His growl was softer this time. Deeper, though. “I don’t have a home.”

But those words didn’t ring true. Not in the least. Good God, the man had brought her to the place he considered his den. Neither of them had said a word about the mating bond, and yet there they were. Dancing around it. In the space he saw as his own…even if he wouldn’t admit it.

Levi gave her a soft smile before sniffing one last time. With a sound like a groan rumbling through him, he brushed past her, his steps slow and reluctant. Amy took a deep breath and leaned on the little table. This being alone in the woods for days was either going to be the best or the worst decision of her entire life. Death by sexual tension…it was a serious possibility.

She watched as Levi disappeared around a corner, her eyes on the way his jeans hugged his hips. But then he turned on a light and what was obviously the kitchen appeared from the darkness at the end of the hall. A kitchen with dark wood cabinets and stone countertops, it looked like. With that warm, homey glow of the rest of the house. Her space…her favorite room in any house. She was too intrigued not to follow him.

And boy, was she glad she did.

The kitchen was a mix of modern and antique, the perfect blend of wood, steel, and stone. It was also a chef’s dream—large counters, professional appliances, a well-placed island with a prep sink built into it—everything set up for speed and reduction of steps.

Amy had never coveted a kitchen more. “Prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ve seen prettier.” Levi’s soft growl had her turning to face him. He stood on the other side of the island, staring at her. Devouring her with his eyes. Just as she’d coveted the kitchen, he was coveting her. Her pulse jumped, blood pounding through her veins. She wanted to live in that look, to dive into the green of his eyes and stay there forever.

But Levi stole his gaze from her, giving a small cough as he shot an almost confused glance around the room. “Yeah, so… I don’t use it as much as I’d like to.”

Amy took a deep breath to recenter herself outside of Levi’s orbit. “You cook?”

He checked that each window was locked before turning for the back door. “Barely. I warm.”

“Ah.” That made sense, though the idea of cooking had her wishing for something to eat. She never did get to make herself dinner. “Do you have supplies? Food of some kind?”

“There’re non-perishables in the pantry, and the freezer should be stocked. It usually is.”

He disappeared around the corner, checking every access point as he went. Even only having known him a few hours, Amy noticed the hard set to his shoulders. He was either nervous or angry, though she had no idea how she knew that. Still, when her father or brothers were upset, she fed them. It kept her out of their way and gave her something to do. Plus, they always seemed to like what she whipped up. With limited supplies and no clue what this man liked to eat, she was definitely at a disadvantage, but cooking was her thing. Her joy. And her gut told her a meal would help Levi relax.

She was elbow deep in the freezer, digging out clearly labeled packages of meat and bags of frozen vegetables, when Levi came back into the kitchen. He was growling low, pacing. A wild animal trapped in an immaculate kitchen. Yet, oddly, he fit.

She wanted to fit with him. “Are you hungry?”

He stopped, watching her, looking almost wary. And a little…lustful. “I’m always hungry.”

Amy shrugged, hiding her warming face by turning back to the freezer. “Then I’ll cook.”

“I don’t know what kind of food is here.”

“I do.” She pulled a package of steaks out with a grin. “Now this, I can work with.”

And she did.

Levi stayed close the entire time she worked in the kitchen. First sitting on the opposite side of the island, then slowly moving into her space. He helped her find pans and open a can of green beans, brushed past her on his way to the sink and the freezer. He growled and sniffed and kept looking out the windows, but he was
there
. Present in the moment. Most of his attention was on her, the rest on keeping them safe. He cut an imposing silhouette against the dark cabinets, but she wasn’t afraid. It felt right to be together. Alone. She could see this growing, see future dinners with this man. See a future, period.

As she cooked, she chatted about the restaurant and her life in town, about food and cooking and just about anything to fill the silence. Not that it was awkward to stop talking, just that there was so much she wanted him to know about her. And he listened, asked questions, kept the words flowing even though he said little about himself.

Levi left the room at one point, saying he needed to
sweep the perimeter
, whatever that meant. Amy was too focused on grating the hard cheese she’d found in the freezer. Cheese could cure most of what ailed you in her world. Cheese and wine… Damn, what she wouldn’t give for a good bottle of red to serve with the meal.

When Levi snuck back into the kitchen, he crept up behind her. His warm breath on her shoulder and quiet growl nearly made her gasp. She ignored him, though, ignored the closeness. Focusing instead on mixing the cheese she’d grated and spices from one of the cabinets into the potato wedges she’d found in the freezer.

“I usually just warm those up,” Levi murmured, his heated breath teasing her neck.

Amy shrugged off her shiver, her stomach tight with nerves. “You’re protecting me. You deserve more than warmed-up potatoes.”

He chuckled, leaning in to whisper a soft
thank you
before moving away once more. She tried to breathe normally, to stop shaking and control her body’s reactions to him, but it took effort. As did ignoring the elephant in the room.

Neither of them was saying what needed to be said. Both avoided the subject of mates, but not in a bad way. More in a teasing way, as if they were purposely building the anticipation. There was no denying the connection. If he felt the building mating imperative even half as strongly as she did, he’d have to be aware. Aware and quietly hunting, if she had to guess. That man was a force of nature, something wild that she wanted to chase and catch. Something she knew would make her just as wild if she let him. And she wanted to let him.

Less than an hour later, the steaks were defrosted and broiled to perfection, frozen potatoes were cooked, mashed, and cooked again, and green beans with garlic completed the meal. It may not have been perfect or from the freshest ingredients, but it was pretty and balanced. And she did know how to cook a steak, no matter what state it was in when she found it.

“This smells good.” Levi sat back as she placed a plate in front of his spot at the counter. His smile lit something inside of her, making her almost blush for about the fifth time since she met him. Lord, she hadn’t blushed since her preteen days. How he brought that out of her, she had no idea.

But she liked it. Hell, she loved it. “It’ll taste even better.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.” He pulled out her chair, shooting her a cocky smile that made her heart trip. “Ladies first.”

“Why, thank you.” Once seated, she placed her napkin in her lap and smiled up at him. He was so close, so in her space, she couldn’t hold back the words she’d been wanting to say. “I’m really glad we’re here…together.”

He stared, silent and still. Blinded, perhaps. Or surprised. Amy couldn’t decipher the expression, but she definitely liked it.

Liked it even more when he whispered, “You’re so pretty.”

His soft voice brushed against her, and her breath caught. Before she could respond, he took his own seat. He even scooted his chair to be closer to her.

“This food really looks…good. It looks really good.” He grabbed his water glass and brought it to his lips. His full, plump lips.

“You, too.” Amy did blush this time if the heat rising to her ears was any indication. His eyebrows jumped as he grinned around the edge of the glass. “I mean, try it before you compliment me. The lack of fresh ingredients left me a little bit handcuffed.”

He choked on his water, coughing harshly. Amy jumped and patted him on the back.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he said, even though he didn’t sound fine.

Amy moved to slide off her seat. “Are you sure? I could get you—”

His warm hand came down on her thigh, not high enough to be a come-on, but definitely not the friendly arm pat she would have expected.

“I’m fine.” He held her gaze as she retook her seat. “You just surprised me was all.”

Amy thought back over her words, trying to determine what could have surprised him. She had just been talking about the food…and handcuffs.
Oh.

“Oh.” Her entire body went warm at the thought of being tied up…or down…by Levi. That particular act wasn’t something she’d tried, but she wasn’t against it. Hell, with Levi in her bed, she doubted she’d be against much of anything.

His hand left her thigh, his eyes looking anywhere but at her. “Sorry,” he whispered, sounding chastised. Almost…ashamed.

Well, hell, that wouldn’t do. “Don’t be sorry, just don’t fall over dead before we’ve gotten the chance to try the handcuffs. It’ll be a new one for me.”

He sputtered again, spinning to face her. If his eyes had been any wider, he might have looked more like an owl than a man. A strong, muscular, handsome man.

“What?” she asked with a casual shrug. “I understand innuendo.”

“You’re dangerous.” He blew out a breath, chuckling softly. “Completely dangerous. It’s not often someone surprises me the way you have.”

“Stick around, Leviathan. I’m pretty damn surprising.”

His smile grew, lighting up his face. “I just might have to do that.”

Amy bit back a grin as they both cut into their steaks. Just might have to indeed.