KnightForce Deuces, page 11
Hungry for him, Asia pulled him closer, inhaling his scent, wanting to rub every part of her over him, marking him as hers. A low growl erupted from his throat sending tingles across her skin. She pushed against his chest, challenging him.
Hawke leaned closer, pressing her into the mattress, devouring her mouth with kisses. She couldn’t breathe; his heat enveloped her.
“Hawke,” she gasped when his lips traveled down her throat, lighting fire to her nerve endings.
The rumbling growl from his chest rolled over her. He shoved her legs apart. Asia arched up to receive him.
Hawke placed his hand on her cheek and turned her face so that she met his gaze. Behind his eyes she saw his wolf and understood his need. There would be nothing pretty or romantic this time. He was too close and needed her to ground him as much as she needed him. The scent of his arousal washed over her.
Staring into her eyes, he lined up his erection, teasing her and then surged forward. Asia’s mouth opened without sound as he filled her in one thrust. Hawke grunted, held both her hands in his above her head and rode her hard.
Her head spun with pent-up desire. “Yessss,” she cried, sensing her wolf’s pleasure at his taking. Sweat from his chest hit her face and rolled onto the sheet. The sound of flesh slapping flesh filled the room. She strained to take more and more of him. With each thrust, nibble and grunt, their bond strengthened.
“That’s it,” he growled, his words garbled from his teeth shifting and crowding his mouth. They were both close. Her body seized, he caught her scream of pleasure as he sealed his lips over hers.
He slammed into her harder, holding her leg up and thrusting deeper. Asia held onto his arms and looked into his eyes as he spilled his seed. Never had she seen a more glorious site than the small burst of color in his wolf’s eyes shining through his. Her wolf growled in pleasure at pleasing her mate.
Hawke lay on top of her for a few seconds and then rolled to the side. She missed his warmth and turned into him. He took deep breaths while holding her tight and then settled to a slower rhythm.
“Hard time keeping him leashed,” he murmured.
“I could tell he was close to the surface.” She rubbed her palm across his chest, needing the contact.
“Mmm, that was good.” He kissed her cheek and rubbed his chin against her face, his sweat moisturizing her skin.
They lay together, breathing each other’s scents. She detected no poison which calmed her wolf more. “How much time did you get to come here?” She asked tired but not ready to sleep or for him to leave.
“The boss didn’t really say but there are fires that need to be put out.” He traced her jaw with his fingertip. “You okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
She smiled. “No, that was what me and my wolf needed to believe you were okay. She’s content.”
He tapped the tip of her nose. “And you? Are you content?”
Rolling to the side she threw a leg over him and leaned in for a kiss. “Yes,” she murmured across his lips.
“Good. Rest now. I’ll watch over you this time.”
Exhausted, she snuggled closer and yawned. “Remind me to tell you what happened with David, you won’t …” she yawned again. “Believe it.”
“Yeah? Okay, I’ll remind you. Get some rest.”
Chapter 16
Alpha Chase looked at Angus in surprise as he held the bartender tight in his grasp. As their Alpha, Chase shut down both Brennan’s and Peaches’ ability to mind-link “Rebel leader, this wolf? I don’t sense anything unique about him.”
Angus nodded and marched Brennan downstairs into a cell, shoved him forward and signaled for them to lock the door.
“Security cameras on?” he asked looking around the walls and ceiling.
“Yes.” Chase paused and glanced over his shoulder as the lock slid into place. “We should talk to him now, he may be suicidal,” the Alpha said.
Angus couldn’t admit he knew they’d captured a major player when he rifled through Brennan’s thoughts earlier and gathered significant information already. “He won’t talk,” Angus said looking through the glass at Brennan sitting on the floor rather than the chair. “He’s prepared to die for what he believes.”
Chase frowned. “So why is he here?”
“So he can talk to Silas. If he’s hiding something, Silas will discover it now rather than later,” Angus said. Plus Silas needed to be involved in the takedown of a rebel leader just as much as Alpha Chase.
“Great idea, let him have a conversation with La Patron first,” Chase said rubbing his hands together. “Has La Patron agreed?”
“Not yet. I’ll contact him in a minute after I interview Peaches,” Angus said watching Chase to see how he responded. When there was no response, he headed to the small room where she sat alone rubbing her arm. Angus secured the syringes and pills from Jasper. When he returned to the compound, he would have Hawke or Passen examine them.
“Has she done anything like this before?” Angus asked.
“Not that I know of. She came from the west coast, claimed no pack, no ties, nothing. The background check came back clean. Looks like she lied about a lot of things.” He met Angus’ stare. “No question I’m shocked and disappointed but she broke the law, betrayed pack, do what you need to do. We need to find those kidnapped victims.”
“Is it possible she has anything to do with the kidnapped half-breeds?”
“Anything’s possible at this point.”
Angus agreed and opened the door. Chase remained near the door while Angus sat in front of her at the table. “Who’s Rain?”
Peaches’ eyes flashed but she remained still. Chase straightened. She glanced at Chase but returned to Angus.
“Which territory does Rain run? Is this his turf? What does he have to do with Brennan?”
She frowned but remained quiet.
“Now that Rain is dead, what will you do?” Angus said and leaned back in his chair.
“What?” She screamed and leapt up. Chase was in front of her before she could move.
“Sit your ass back down,” Chase growled.
Peaches snarled and sat. “Neither one of you know what you’re talking about - life as you knew it has changed. This is all old school; a new day has come.”
Angus smiled at her bravado, even she didn’t believe the words she spouted.
“Old day, new day, I don’t really give a fuck,” Angus said looking at his fingernails and then released his claws. The light gleamed off the thick, pointed tips. “Today is the day I’m interested in. Why’d you try to kill me?”
“What? That wouldn’t have…” Her eyes widened. She tightened her lips and looked at her hands folded in her lap.
“Is this how all newcomers to the area are greeted, with a needle?” he asked clicking his claw-tips on the table. Her eyes followed his movements and then rose to meet his gaze.
“Who are you?” she asked and then looked at Alpha Chase. “Is this La Patron?” she cut her eyes to Angus’ partially shifted hand.
Angus and Chase laughed.
Her cheeks reddened but she didn’t look away. “I heard he could change his appearance to look like anybody.” She rolled her eyes at Chase. “Everybody knows you don’t have litter-mates, so trying to pass him off as one was lame.”
“No… everybody doesn’t know that,” Chase said, in an affable tone. “Everybody thinks that. There’s a difference.”
Peaches’ head snapped toward her Alpha. “You don’t.” She didn’t sound as sure this time.
“Silas if you have a few minutes, there are two rebels I’d like you to scan,” Angus said. He frowned when Silas didn’t answer immediately.
“La Patron?”
“One second I’m finishing something at the moment. Give me 10 minutes.” Silas said.
Concerned, Angus half-listened to the conversation between Alpha Chase and Peaches. “Hawke?”
When there was no response, he knew something was wrong. He stood and left the room.
“Tyrese?”
“Angus?”
“Yeah, how’re things going?” He walked a few feet down the hall and leaned on the wall.
“Um, not too good. First Froggy, then the guy in security and the lab tech, it’s getting crazy.”
Angus frowned. “Froggy? What about him?”
Silence.
“Tyrese? What’s wrong with Frogs?” Angus snapped.
“Talk to Silas. I gotta go.” Tyrese disconnected their link.
Angus closed his eyes and pleaded to the Goddess that his friend was okay. “Frogs?” he tried to reach the older man through their link and like Hawke, there was no response. What the hell happened after he left?
“Sorry about that, now what do you need?” Silas asked.
“What happened to Frogs?” Angus asked slowly. His heartbeat quickened as dread blanketed him.
Silas exhaled. “Some kind of poison, we’re not sure yet.”
“Poison? How?” Angus couldn’t understand how this happened. Compound security was tight with a series of filters and high-tech scans.
“Hawke thinks the water was contaminated. David sensed some men on the grounds, not inside the compound but nearby. We’ve tracked down the delivery men but they’ve disappeared.”
“I saw them, on my way to the gym to check in with Frogs. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He ran his hand through his hair, grabbed the ends and pulled hard. Still the pain barely registered compared to the gaping hole in his chest at the news he lost his friend.
“We have one of the men on tape washing his hands, that’s the only connection we can see. If the poison was on his hands—”
“They could have left poisonous residue on any of the boxes or packages and anyone handling them would’ve eventually washed their hands. All the gray water is recycled, if the strain is strong it may’ve survived that process.” Angus paused. “Just Frogs, right?” Based on Tyrese’s slip, he knew better but he needed to hear Silas say it.
“Two more and we almost lost Hawke.”
“What?” Angus shot off the wall and walked in a tight circle in the middle of the hall. His fists opened and closed as he imagined what Asia and Damian went through when Hawke went down. They would’ve felt it, possibly been affected by the poison in Hawke’s system.
“Yeah, it was rough for a few minutes. Asia pulled him out of it. He’d been working this thing for over 24 hours without rest, wore his body down and it cost him. Cost us. He and Asia are resting now,” Silas said.
“What about you?”
“Similar to Hawke but my situation is different. I’ll rest in a bit.” He sighed.
“What? Something else is happening. Tell me.” While he understood why Silas hadn’t told him about Froggy and the crisis at the compound, he didn’t like it. There had been nothing he could’ve done and the information he gleamed from Peaches and Brennan was something they could use immediately.
“Rose had the babies - Ryan and Ryder.”
“That’s good, right?” He prayed nothing went wrong with the delivery.
“Yes, but one wasn’t breathing.”
Angus closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest. “Please tell me he’s okay.”
“Oh… yes. Sorry, he’s okay now. Matt knew exactly what to do and handled it, so he’s recovering. Rose and Rone seem to be recuperating.”
Angus went over everything Silas said and failed to see the problem. He hated when Silas took a long time to get to the point. Normally, that only happened when Silas screwed up. “Bless the Goddess, what did you do? Did you piss off your mate?”
Silas didn’t answer.
“What did you do?”
“We’re under quarantine because of the poison. She wanted me to send for Matt to deliver the baby, I reminded her of the quarantine.”
Angus shook his head and thanked the Goddess he had not found his mate, because common sense seemed to take a hiatus from the mated couples he knew. For Silas to mention that tidbit of information meant he was suffering from the fall-out. He pondered how to offer comfort without giving the impression he agreed with Silas’ asinine handling of the matter. “Did you tell her that before Rose went into labor or after?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes it does. If you told her before, she won’t be too angry because it’s not personal. The mandate was for everyone. But, if you told her after she told you Rose was in labor, then you are in the proverbial doghouse. Especially with the delivery having problems.”
“Yeah, we will muddle through as always. What do you need from me?” Silas asked in an implacable tone ending the subject of his mistake with his mate. Angus knew better than to push. When it came to Jasmine, Silas tolerated zero interference. Sometimes he listened to Angus’ criticisms as long as the remarks never extended to Jasmine. No matter what they went through, Silas protected his mate on every front which tickled Angus because Jasmine was normally right.
Angus exhaled and pushed the death of his friend aside until he could mourn privately later. He told Silas about Peaches and Brennan.
“Let me see Brennan first and have Peaches in a position to watch.”
Angus liked that idea and had Alpha Chase set it up. A few minutes later, Angus entered the small, bland room with a large monitor stretching the length of one wall. Angus recognized it as the room where Alpha Chase met with Silas for their monthly Alpha meetings. He moved toward the table with Brennan followed by Chase. Brennan tried to sit on the floor but was forced to sit in a wooden chair near the table.
Peaches sat in another room with Jasper, watching.
“We’re ready,” Angus told Silas.
A few seconds later Silas appeared on the screen. Angus leaned against the wall to watch. Just because Silas didn’t travel as much as he had before he had a den didn’t mean he was less powerful. Angus believed the opposite happened. He recalled the tape of Jasmine sending fire into a former lover of her mother’s when he tried to kill Asia. That had been pretty. Challenges were a part of pack life. Normally, Silas enjoyed playing with challengers but with everything going on in the compound, Angus knew this would be quick.
“Greetings, Sir,” Alpha Chase said.
“Hello Chase, I heard you’re having a rodent problem in the mountains.” Silas looked at Brennan.
“Yes, Sir. We’ve caught a couple we’d like you to meet,” Chase waved at Brennan who stared boldly at Silas, curling his lip. Angus gasped as the surge of energy from Silas passed through him to connect with the rebel. The next moment Brennan’s wolf lay on the floor panting and whining.
Peaches screamed.
Silas linked with Angus as he rifled through Brennan’s mind gathering information. The gray wolf mewled and yelped on the floor, unable to rise.
“You’re right, he was one of their leaders. Seems they are trying to structure their organization like mine,” Silas said.
“A leader in every state?” Angus asked unable to believe they’d take on such a monumental task.
“Yes, they have 10 so far and are recruiting but he doesn’t know who’s financing them.”
“Any information about someone named Rain?” Angus asked.
“Let me check,” Silas said.
Blood pooled on the floor beneath Brennan’s mouth as he released piteous sounds no doubt begging for death or release. He would receive one, not the other.
“The name is there but he doesn’t know much about him. They’ve compartmentalized information so if one is caught, they have limited knowledge,” Silas said.
“Hmm, smart I guess,” Angus said.
“Did you see the names and places when you searched his memories?” Silas asked as Angus slid out of Brennan’s memories.
“Yes. I’ll visit them tonight. I’d like to return to the compound –”
“We’ll talk about that later, right now I need to send a message. Bring the girl,” Silas said.
Angus waved to Jasper and he escorted Peaches inside the room. Visibly shaken, she gazed at Brennan’s wolf lying on the floor taking shallow breaths.
“Who is Rain?” Silas asked.
Her face blanched. “I…I…Sir.”
A blast of heat scorched the room. She screamed and jerked backward as if slapped. Next her body shook as Silas rifled through her memories and then shared the information with Angus. When Silas released her, she fell, holding her throat gasping for air.
Brennan flowed into his human skin, curled into a ball and lay naked, shaking on the floor.
“Stand up, both of you.”
Peaches stood first, looking down at the floor. Brennan took a little longer and after stumbling twice, held onto the chair and looked down. The earlier derision he’d worn was now replaced with a certain sense of dread. Whatever he believed about La Patron before, had undergone a radical change now that he’d met his Alpha. Angus sensed it and was sure Silas did as well.
“Alpha Chase, these two have conspired against you with the express intent to cause havoc in your pack through lies and murder if necessary.”
“No. That’s not true,” Peaches cried, tears streaming down her face. “That stuff wouldn’t have killed you, I told you that. Just make you sleepy so we could take you to the warehouse for questions. That’s all. Believe me, I didn’t murder anybody. I wouldn’t do that!”
Silas and Angus looked at Alpha Chase. It was his decision.
“But you worked with the rebels and they’ve killed half-breeds,” Chase said in a hard voice.
Her mouth dropped open and then she snapped it shut. “What? No, we haven’t. Ask the others, they’ll tell you, we haven’t killed anybody,” she said truthfully.
Angus wondered if she knew Brennan ran the territory, he didn’t think so. Not once did she look at him as a leader. “Jasper, bring the others in here,” Angus ordered.
The three who attacked them on the road entered and stared at Silas. One had the good sense to bow and keep his eyes averted. The other two stumbled into each other with their eyes glued to the screen.
