Текст книги "Unconditional"

Автор книги: Lauren Dane

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

Chapter Fifteen

She awoke from dreams of the forest. Of running. Of pain, quicksilver, burning through her like fire.

She remembered dying. Of the way she’d lost more of her anchor to her body as her essence and magick bled from her. And Josh’s voice. His hands on her and his voice urging her to fight. Telling her he loved her.

She heard her heartbeat. Smelled blood and pain and…Josh. Other Weres too. Other types of magick.

Teeth. She gasped, choking on her spit at the memory of teeth, and began to cough, expecting there to be pain.

Hands on her and a voice. A female voice and then Josh. That gave her strength to open her eyes. “Why is a woman here?”

The words, as they left her body, had a life of their own. She couldn’t quite grasp the thoughts but everything was different.

Josh’s face swam into focus. “There you are, beautiful.” His smile wavered at the edges. He was pale, but he smelled good. He smelled hers. Had she been able to smell him like this before?

“Who’s the dish?”

The female in the room laughed and stepped into Michelle’s vision. Inside her, an irrational anger stirred that such a pretty woman stood so near Josh. She pushed it back and nearly puked when a growl came from her lips.

Michelle knew she blushed as heat blasted her neck and cheeks.

“I’m wildly flattered. I don’t think I’ve been thought of as a dish in years. Maybe never. I’m Grace Warden. I’m Supreme Alpha here in North America. I’m also a doctor. Is it all right if I check you over? Take your vitals and the like?”

“Yes, sure. What happened?”

“Can I keep her hand while you do?” Josh asked, his voice rusty.

She squeezed the hand in hers. “Better not let go.” She croaked this out and realized how thirsty she was. When she got the energy to speak again, she’d ask for water.

“Never.” He brushed a kiss against her knuckles. Knuckles covered in dried blood.

Grace efficiently moved, measuring, doing her doctor thing as Michelle struggled to stay awake.

“You’re doing better than the last time I checked you.” Grace smiled down, brushing the hair from Michelle’s forehead. “I’m going to tell you that you were shot sixteen times. Your kidneys were both destroyed, three shots to your lungs, your intestines had multiple holes. You lost so much blood I’m quite frankly shocked you were still alive when they got you here to me. The only explanation is that you’re a badass bitch, as my sister-in-law Nina would say.”

Grace held a glass of water with a straw to Josh, who brought it to Michelle’s lips, and she drank greedily.

“Take it easy or you’re going to throw it back up.”

She might have been exhausted and weak and woozy, but her brain wasn’t broken. And she knew with all that damage, it had to be two months later, which wasn’t true as Josh wore the same clothes and was still covered in blood. Her blood. It was hours later, not weeks or days.

“Want to tell me why I’m still breathing after all that damage?”

Grace stood back, and Josh got closer, brushing his lips over hers, over her eyelids, rubbing his face against her cheek and things that had knotted up inside seemed to ease. She responded to him with a rumbled sigh, and she knew right then, before he said anything.

“You were going to die.” This man of hers who kept his control even when things got very bad, who protected her and soothed her, lost it then as tears ran down his cheeks. “I couldn’t lose you.”

“I’m like you now.”

He nodded and then shrugged. “Yes. No. Not quite. You’re better. I mean, aside from being shot sixteen times. Cade is the one who bit you. I’m strong, but if I’d bit you, you’d have been out a few days. It’s only been seven hours. You’re a strong wolf. A live one. I know you’re angry we didn’t ask you first. I apologize—”

“Hush! Did you really think I’d be mad that you saved my life? Am I that high strung and difficult then?”

He paused, his look of anguish softening to humor and affection. “Yeah? Well you’re beautiful and really good with a gun so I guess you can afford to be difficult. Occasionally. It’s just that I never brought it up to you much less asked, and your life is…well, utterly changed.”

“I’m alive. To be with you. To find Allie’s killers. I’m. Alive. Thank you.” And really considering the last ten days or so, being alive as a wolf fell into the plus category.

Grace smiled and thumped Josh on the head with a folder. “See? I told you.” She smiled down at Michelle. “They were all so worried, and I said you seemed a practical sort and would prefer a life with Josh and vengeance for what these monsters did to your friend to death over a silly thing like being so near death you couldn’t be consulted about being turned.”

“I’d laugh but I might vomit if I do.”

“By all means, you’re free not to do that. Josh has been waiting to move you until you woke up, but he’s going to take you to one of our guest rooms so you can sleep. You’re going to need it to let your wolf get acclimated. You’ve done a lot in the last week. Mated, anchored, turned. Your wolf needs as much rest and time with the human as the human needs the same.”

Michelle had a million questions, but she was so tired she couldn’t think. But she did need to tell them about what she’d seen at that house back in Portland.

“Have to tell you what I saw. We rushed here for a reason.”

Grace looked to Josh, who sighed heavily. “I told you,” he said.

“What?”

“Stubborn.” But he smiled when he said it.

“I’ll make you a deal.” Grace nodded at Josh, who bent and picked Michelle up. “Let him get you cleaned up. You’ll feel better after that. Then Cade and I will come up once you’re settled in bed and you can tell him then. And, I hope you don’t mind, but one of the de La Vegas wants to hear what’s going on too.”

Josh growled, and Grace winked at Michelle before she addressed Josh. “This one is Renee, she’s Jack’s mate and a witch. I think she’s going to bring her sister Kendra, who is the female Alpha of the jaguar jamboree. She’s also a witch who took on a cat so she’s eager to meet you. You’ll like her, and we can avoid all this silly boy stuff you guys do anytime another male gets near your mate.”

“What about me? I wanted to scratch your eyes out earlier when you stood near Josh.”

Josh made a grumbly sound that vibrated through her, and she stiffened when she realized the wolf inside her moved. Like, actually moved.

He carried her up some stairs as Grace followed. “It’s all right. You get used to the wolf inside. She’ll help you. But she’ll rise when I’m near. My wolf always does when you’re around.” Josh kept his voice calm and quiet, and she couldn’t help but snuggle into him.

“I think we might be able to have Josh sitting with you when they come in. You’ll be possessive, that’s how it works, but it should be fine.” Grace opened a door to a lovely guest bedroom. “There’s a bathroom through there. Akio brought your bag so you have clothes to change into. Get cleaned up. I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.”

She was already mainly naked as he sat her gently down while he turned the shower on before helping her out of the gown thing she’d been wearing.

His hands shook and she leaned out to take one in her own. “I’m here.”

He fell to his knees and buried his face in her lap. “Christ. You nearly weren’t. You nearly died. You don’t…I can’t…I’ve never in my life felt worse. Thank you for being alive and okay. Thank you for not being mad.”

She tipped his chin up. “Only you could manage to look gorgeous with smudges of blood all over you. Are you all right? I’m sorry, I should have protected you, it’s my job too, after all.”

He stood, pulling his clothes off and tossing them in a corner. That second consciousness inside her belly perked up as pride rushed through her. He was all hers. This beautiful, masculine, powerful male.

“In.” He pointed at the shower. Though all that sternness fell away when he put a hand at the small of her back and helped her in carefully. “I’m fine. I killed a few mages, but not all of them. But I will. There’s nowhere on this planet they can hide from me.”

“So some of them got away?”

“I’ll handle it all. So just stand there and look beautiful and let me do the work.”

“Are you mad at me?” she asked, her voice sleepy as he got her hair nice and wet. One of his arms was banded around her waist, helping her stand. Her legs were rubbery, and she kept going very hot and then very cold.

He gently soaped her hair. “Why would I be mad? I’m…I’m fucked up ten ways right now because you nearly died and I have this driving need to run with you. To grab you and run and never look back because I can’t bear the thought of actually losing you. I came close enough. People want to kill you and my wolf is really not down with that. And you have a wolf too. And my wolf finds that really, really hot.”

He shook again as he babbled, struggling to keep control. The talking helped keep the man in charge.

Her voice softened as she gave over to the way he touched her. “The bond is different now. More intense and I wasn’t sure that was possible. You’re feeling some really powerful stuff.”

He tried to remain clinical as he soaped the blood off her skin.

“I can’t believe I don’t even have open wounds.” She passed her fingertips over the pinked skin where she’d already healed so much.

“Just be glad it’s better. A few hours ago it was much worse.”

She hugged him, staying snuggled into his body even as his cock got so hard he felt he should probably apologize.

“You saved my life, Josh.”

“Cade did.”

“No, Cade turned me. You saved my life.” He realized she meant something more than just the gunshots, and tears flooded him again. She was the best thing in the world. The finest gift he’d ever been given.

“Um,” he tried to speak when she moved, slick from the soap, and her skin slid against his cock and he arched. “Sorry. You just…”

She tipped her head back. “Good to know I’ve still got it. We can take care of that, you know, before the room fills up with shifters.”

“You were shot sixteen times. I can wait to fuck you until you’ve had some time to recover. I’m a werewolf, not an animal.”

“Only you could make me laugh a sentence after you mention how many times I was shot.”

Through their link he felt her wave of dizziness, and he got her rinsed off while he held her up.

“Plenty of time for fucking when you’re recovered.” He turned the water off and helped her out, drying her off carefully, and then he assisted in getting her into soft yoga pants and a shirt.

“Come on, into bed with you, and I’ll let people know you’re ready. You’ll tell them what you saw and you’ll rest and that’s an order.”

“An order?”

“Yes. Don’t push me right now, Michelle. I’m on the edge. My wolf is not happy at all that anyone will be coming in here when you’re weak.”

“You’re here to protect me.” She said it so matter of fact that he knew she simply accepted it as fact. And that eased some of his anguish.

She continued. “Is everyone okay? I can’t believe I didn’t ask. Akio? Dave?”

“Ed, the wolf who was driving, was shot twice. He dove to knock you down as I was doing the same. But we were both too late. Akio is fine. He went off to eat because Cade ordered him to. He hadn’t left your side since we brought you in.” Thank God for his friend and their anchor. He might have lost it without Akio’s support.

He pulled the blankets back and helped her into bed before he went to the door and let the wolf just outside know Michelle was ready to talk.

Josh moved back to the bed and grabbed a chair.

“No.”

He looked up at her. “No, what, beautiful?”

“I need you to sit here with me. Please. I need…”

He understood and settled next to her on the bed. “You need to be touched. And I get it. I need to touch you so that works out just fine. Shifters, the whole lot of us, we find a great deal of comfort in touching and being touched. You’re on the mend and newly changed so you’ll need it more.”

She snuggled into his side, sucking in a breath. He sucked in his own gasp when she licked his neck.

“You taste so good. Even better now.” Her lips brushed over his skin as she spoke and sent shivers through him. “Wow, I can feel your arousal. I mean, here.” She squeezed his cock. “But through the bond too. It’s…wow. So wow.”

He smiled. “When you’re ready for it, I’m going to fuck the hell out of you. Just sayin’.”

Her arousal twined around his through the bond, and he had to put a pillow over his lap before everyone came in.

Akio entered the room first and moved right to them. He approached the side Josh was on, knowing how possessive and on edge he would be after his mate nearly died. Even with an anchor.

“Hey, little witch.” Akio kissed her forehead. “You’re looking a far sight better than you were an hour ago. Don’t fucking try to die again or I will kick your ass.” And then he settled in the chair Josh was going to sit in.

Grace came in next with a tray she handed to Josh. “Eat. There’s a mug of soup there for you, Michelle. If you feel up to it, just sip it here and there.”

Cade followed and smiled at Michelle. “There she is, my newest wolf. Welcome, Michelle. And congratulations on the bond with Josh.”

“Thank you.” Michelle cleared her throat. Josh knew how tired she was getting but she’d soldier through. “And I understand you’re the one who turned me to save my life, so thank you for that too.”

“Some years ago, a short while after Grace and I were mated, she was shot and seriously injured. Of course my very stubborn mate refused to change into her wolf before she knew my sister, who had been critically wounded, was all right. I know, first hand, what it feels like, that sick, helpless nausea as you watch the person you love more than life itself on the verge of death. So it was my honor to make sure Josh didn’t have to face the rest of his life without you at his side. And now you’re one of mine too.”

He sat at the foot of the bed in a chair Dave brought in.

“I’m going to ask Kendra and Renee to come in now, all right? Then you can tell us all what you saw at once and after that, get some rest.” Grace posed it like a question, but Michelle heard the steel in her tone. This was a woman used to being obeyed.

And really, sleeping in Josh’s arms was going to be her reward so she’d make it through.

Immediately, when the two witches came into the room, the wolf inside her seemed to press against her insides. Josh took her hand and squeezed it. “Drink some of that soup.”

She did, and the concentration it took to pick up the mug, sip it slowly and put it back helped her focus on something other than the fact that two beautiful women had just entered the space with her mate.

“I don’t even know how you get through every day feeling like this,” she muttered.

“You’ll get used to it. Things are very strong between you and Josh now. Your bond is new and you nearly died. Your wolf is establishing herself, and she and your human will have to find an equilibrium. It’ll come in time and then things will be easier. I promise.” Grace patted her foot.

Both witches smiled at her. “I’m Renee. Jack Meyers is one of my mates. He told me about you. Spoke very highly of you as it happens. He’s hard to impress so you must be pretty awesome.” Renee kept her eyes on Michelle, not quite ignoring Josh, but it was enough to ease her wolf back.

“I’m Kendra. I’m Max de La Vega’s wife and the other Alpha of the de La Vega Jamboree here in Boston. I’m also a witch who took on an animal. So after you’re recovered, we should talk about that. How it works for me and stuff. Also, I don’t know any other witch who is also a shifter so we have so much to talk about.”

“Tell us what you saw.” Cade sat back in his chair.

Chapter Sixteen

She woke up with a start and remembered. Everything. Being shot. Nearly dying. Josh’s voice as she drifted farther and farther away. She was so sure she’d die even as she held on by her fingernails. And then teeth. The fire of the virus as her wolf raced through her veins.

And then telling a room full of shifters about the magic at the murder scene. The way she’d scented wolves in the energy. About the unbearable wrongness of the presence she’d felt in that circle.

She’d repeated it over the phone to Lark Jaansen as well. The witch had told her to rest and not worry, that they were on the trail of the mages and Allie’s death would be avenged. She also urged Michelle to consider working for Owen as a hunter in Portland, perhaps as a liaison with the wolves there.

It was worth considering. And it was good to have some options when she wasn’t sure what she’d end up doing since she would no longer be a cop in Roseburg.

Josh stirred, opening his eyes and looking straight into her heart. She drew in a breath but it was full of his scent, and she went hot and hard and wet with such force it had her swallowing and reaching for some control.

So very slowly, he leaned in until he brushed his lips against her jaw. “My beautiful wolf.”

“Hold that thought.” She levered from the bed, thinking her legs would still be weak like they were the last time she managed to stand. But they weren’t. In fact she felt pretty amazing all things considered. So she brushed her teeth, washed her face and took care of her business before she went back out to him, where he was also getting back between the sheets.

“Now, you should rest.” He tried to tuck her into his body but she squirmed to face him, kissing him square on the mouth.

“How long was I out?”

“About ten hours. It’s been two days since we landed in Boston.”

“Did you rest?”

“Yes. Not the whole time. Once you’re on the mend you won’t need to sleep more than four hours or so a night. I do like a nap during the day though.” He waggled his brows.

“Then neither of us needs to rest right now. I feel awesome. And really horny. I haven’t had werewolf sex yet. Um, not that I want to as a wolf, cause, well I’m not ready for that. But you know what I mean.”

He laughed, kissing her slow and sweet. “It can all wait. You’ll need to shift at some point. It’s a full moon in two days. The first shift is easiest then. Though with Cade here and being as powerful as he is and your maker, he might be able to—”

She shut Josh up by kissing him again while she struggled out of her pants and panties.

“I don’t want to wait.”

“You nearly died less than two days ago, damn it.”

She rolled over on top of him, moving to straddle his waist to pin him there while she whipped off her shirt. He hissed, his gaze roving over her body.

“I did almost die. I can remember it. Remember what it felt like as my life drained through my fingers like sand. I nearly lost you. Lost this.” She undulated herself against his cock. “I got a second chance. Well, I suppose you were my second chance, being alive? After being shot sixteen times? Well that’s some miracle stuff right there, and I can’t see any reason not to get you inside me right now. I want to live my life to the absolute fullest. One, because you’re my man and you look the way you do and you have some very important and impressive skills in bed, but also? Because Allie didn’t get a second chance. How can I not live every single moment, if for no other reason than I know most people don’t get that extra chance?”

“I don’t want to hurt you. You don’t understand.”

She pulled his shirt off and ran her hands all over the warmth of his skin.

“Don’t understand what?” She bent to lick over a nipple, and he moaned, gripping her shoulders. She pushed back, the thrill of that restraint sliding through her.

“If I hurt you I couldn’t live with myself. I want you so much I’m having trouble not shaking with it.”

She sat up and looked into his eyes. “If I can walk away after being shot, I can handle your cock.”

He rolled his eyes but allowed his hands to slide down her shoulders to her arms and hands. “You sure you’re all right?”

“Not if you won’t satisfy me sexually.” She pouted until he took her breasts into his hands, squeezing her nipples between his fingers.

“Look at me.”

His gaze flicked from her nipples to her face. “No. I mean my body. The gunshot wounds are barely even pink now. My muscles aren’t even sore. I’m better than fine. Better than all right.”

“Are you unsatisfied then?” His gaze went hooded and it sent a thrill through her.

“Huh?” It was hard to think with his hands on her.

“You demanded I satisfy you sexually.”

“Oh that. Well get to it and I won’t be.”

He reached down and got rid of his pants—naturally he wore no underwear—and rolled his hips, sliding his cock through her pussy until she writhed.

“Thing is, I don’t think you’re ready yet.”

Gently, but quickly and with more practiced power than when she’d done it, he reversed their positions, and she was on her back as he loomed over her.

“I’m totally ready. I promise.”

He smiled at her with his predator smile, and it sent a shiver of delight through her. “Maybe I need to make you even more ready because I like to.”

He kissed her neck and she arched into his touch. “Okay then. That’s all right with me.”

He kissed his way down her throat, giving her the edge of his teeth and it was…different. Hotter. Her breath caught and her skin heated as it slid against his.

“Yes. I can scent you. Your skin warming, your cunt getting wet and soft for me.” He licked over her nipple and then bit the side, which seemed to be his favorite place. Shivers rolled through her and inside her, that other consciousness, her wolf, seemed to arch along with her.

His chuckle was wicked. “Now you know what it does when you bite me. When you mark me and I can see your mark on me the next day.”

Michelle raked her nails down his back and reveled in his hiss of pleasure/pain. She wanted to mark him in a way she couldn’t articulate. It was fun before, but now? Now she was driven to do it.

She reared up and bit his left biceps, high up, the meat of his muscle between her teeth. He snarled, but instead of pulling away, he pressed into her teeth, which hardened her nipples.

This werewolf sex thing was working out pretty well so far, she had to say. “Yes, just like that, beautiful. Goddamn, you’re so fucking sexy.” His hands caressed every part of her he could reach as he licked and bit her nipples until she grabbed his shoulders and shoved him down.

“More!”

His laughter brushed against the skin of her belly and then her thighs. He spread her wide and licked, slow and gentle at first until she began to melt into the bed. Then he hummed, sending the vibrations through her clit, making her arch her back on a gasp.

“There we go.”

“I’m totally ready,” she managed to wheeze out.

“Nope.” He did something with his tongue that made her see little white lights.

“Nope what?” Okay so she might have wailed that last bit.

He laughed, the dog. Or the wolf. Whatever. He was purposely teasing her.

“Are you going to make me beg?”

He looked up, over the line of her body, gaze locked on hers as he licked slow and then fast and then slow again. “Maybe. Are you too proud to beg, Michelle?”

She shook her head. “No. Nope. Nope. I’m begging you. Please, please, please make me come.”

“I like that.” He continued that slow torture, and she pounded the mattress and jerked at how strong she was. He laughed again. “I should have warned you. You’re a lot stronger now.”

“Get back to work!”

He totally did. This time his pressure was harder, his licks faster as he slid one finger and then another up into her, turning his wrist until he found a spot so unbearably sweet inside her that she nearly jumped up off the bed.

And then he sucked her clit between his lips and let go. And again. And one more time until her pleasure burst through her, filling her up so there was nothing but sensation and her orgasm racing through her veins.

“Just so you know, I’m absolutely sexually satisfied,” she mumbled, opening her eyes as he moved to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him.

“I aim to please.”

“You get a gold star. If I could move I’d do a little cheer.”

He gave her such a grin. “Yeah? Well my birthday is coming up.”

“I can’t possibly get my ass in my old stuff, but as it happens the internet loves a slutty cheerleader costume so I’m sure I can get a replacement. Been a while since I’ve bounced knowing you watched me cheer.”

“Best part of my Friday nights, I gotta say.” Then he did some fancy-pants move and slid into her in one hard thrust.

“Damn, you are all about the sex moves. It’s a good thing I stuck around to benefit from your skills. However, I was going to suck your cock and you got in the way of that.”

“Beautiful, there will always be another opportunity for you to suck my dick. Right now I want to be in you.”

When he was dirty like that it turned her insides all gooey.

Her hands on his back caught the tension in his muscles. “Let go. You’re holding back.”

“I shouldn’t be doing this at all! You nearly died, damn it, woman!”

“But I didn’t die. You saved me. You brought me here and you made the decisions that saved my life and I am here. Here wrapped around you. Here. So when I tell you to let go, it’s not because I’m being a martyr, it’s because I am fine and I want it hard.”

He sighed and kissed her deeply until she melted into his touch. Then he sped up and she didn’t just allow it. She reveled in it. She loved how he looked at her with his wolf shining in his eyes.

He thrust deep and hard like it was the only thing he could do. Like he couldn’t resist and she loved it. Loved that he needed her so much.

“I love you,” he said, leaning his forehead to hers. “Don’t leave me. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “I love you too.”

When he came he pressed inside, his fingertips digging into her hips hard to hold her still.

She drifted off that way, safe in his arms. Loved.