Ashes To Ashes (Wolf Guard Book 2) (22 page)

I cocked my head at her slightly, she suddenly seemed a lot older than I'd originally taken her for.

A gracious smile stayed firmly planted on her lips, seeing right through me and more than I'd like to announce to others. "Some were borne to lead, it's in every single strand of our DNA. The only thing you should struggle with, is who you want beside you when you take that position."

I watched her blonde hair swing freely, reaching the very bottom of her spine with each swooping drop, shining in the glow from lamps lit in each corner of the room. Soft like silk as she turned with a smile and walked gracefully to the kitchen to restock her arms with trays of food.

She seemed very much a Queen in that moment. More than a pack leader, definitely more than I could hope to be. I wondered yet again, just who she'd stood in this house waiting for. Staring at those gates that locked the pack in just as much as it kept interlopers out. Putrefying in place with each passing day that put another nail in someone's coffin, proof that they were not returning.

I hoped Lane had the answers for her. I felt a need to give her that at least.

Chapter 28

"I'm going to...join him." The looks from each vibrating wolf angered the animal within. Challenges that came in various forms of dominance. Disagreements with the plan that both the man and the wolf had decided on. They can't disagree with me - I'm the Alpha.

"Are you stupid?"

The wolf growled until he swept his eyes towards the voice. So loud in my own head I'd not heard that sweet, lilting accent that gave just the tiniest hint of further south, as if she'd moved to a larger city at one point and lost the emphasis on her vowels. He stilled in utter pleasure that she'd spoken to him, ignored the rest of the room and focused those gold eyes entirely on us. Lost his thought process as she stood from her seat next to the blonde female, and walked towards us, hips swaying in a gentle rock with each forward step. He was an imbecile - she'd just insinuated we were stupid. "No, I'm giving him...what he wants."

She scowled at us, all fiery female that warned us not to disobey. I liked her tiny mouth that turned up in anger.

"And then what?"

I shrugged and looked into those shiny eyes, a perfect blend of heated and cooled precious metal. "I'll kill him."

She shook her head,"that's it? You'll just kill him?"

I was unsure how to answer for a moment. It seemed one of those situations that could prove perilous. "Uh, yes."

She snorted and walked over to an amused Arya."Kill him, he says. Because that's worked out so well this far."

I growled at her back, slightly less annoyed than I'd meant it to be when I saw her ass encased in tight, black jeans."He's not stronger than I am."

She whipped her head around and glared at me, a pretty flash that lit her eyes with burning fire. "Maybe not, but he's a conniving little prick who's managed to be one step ahead all this time. Have you thought that you might just be doing exactly what he wants?"

Of course - I was unstable, not deficient. "I'm tired of his games...we finish this now." She huffed and I had the overwhelming urge to spank her into submission. Wolf rumbled in agreement. I'd rather like to keep my hands though, and so redirected my thoughts back to the conversation. "I want this done...he's been allowed to retain his head...for far too long."

Charlie eyed me from the corner of the room, requisite sword that was forever a part of him, sheathed behind his back in its home of polished, black leather. His expression remained content, settled as if he was perfectly comfortable keeping quiet. I knew him well though, had spent centuries with this wolf. I easily caught the flicker of brown eyes, pulled like magnets to each point of access to the room. Studying in milliseconds, every vantage position possible. He worried me sometimes, made me think not all was right within that carefully laid facade.

"You're sure?" His voice was low and soft, so completely fluid and unbreakable that I envied the ease with which he spoke.

"Won't have it...any other way."

He smiled, broke that mask that hid a raging animal, gave me a glimpse of what he buried inside."Got your back."

I nodded in acknowledgment - he'd always had my back.

Sasha sat on the arm of my chair, her scent pulling me forward to lean against her until I could almost taste those peaches on my tongue. Such mouthwatering flavour I almost lost my concentration again, very nearly licked a path up her arm and all the way back down until I found the source of that sweet heat. She was a distraction to the point of lunacy.

"I don't like it." Her voice pulled me from staring at her bare skin.

"I won't lose." I felt the need to reassure her, make certain she understood how little his own wolf challenged mine. He was a fighter most definitely, but he hid behind centuries of life and an overblown idea of himself. She huffed beside me, a cuteness I failed to notice on any other woman but her. "You can come and...get me, if I'm taking too long."

A little smile hesitantly grew on her lips, gradually expanding until I saw twitches on her cheeks. "If I have to come and get you, I'll drag you all the way back."

I rubbed my face against her tiny shoulder, smiling into her supple skin. She could drag me as much as she liked - I had a feeling I'd follow her anywhere. Arya stood from her seat next to Carver, the Captain's crazy female, stoic as she lay another log on the crackling fire. Her back to me, she let out a long breath that demanded my attention.

"I'd like his head, Lane."

Of course she would - an add on to her collection. I couldn't begrudge the request and nodded as she peered around to watch my face. I'd like to offer her first rights but, in her current condition, I doubt Carver would risk her fighting. I wound an arm around my woman, pulled her closer to touch as much of her as possible while still in company. The very thought of her being mine caused a struggle to stop Wolf from ripping gaping holes in her clothing. I found as much as I'd like to see more of her skin, I also wanted to guard it like gold - prevent any other wolf from looking at the flesh that was all mine to see. "I'll leave here in the morning...travel alone for a while...he'll find me when he...wants to." I felt Sasha's trembles against my side, little shudders that proved the witch liked me alot more than she expressed.

Conall raised his glass my way, the flames from the fire winking through that crystal tumbler. "Doan't worry, Lane. I'll keep your woman occupied."

Crazy Irish. Trying to goad the animal into taking a bite out of his flesh.

Better keep his eyes on me, one second of turning his back and I'll add a scar to his already full stockpile
.

He grinned a little lopsided, knowing exactly what he was doing. He wanted a battle before I left - get all that anger out before it consumed him in some raging inferno. He'd get exactly what he asked for.

I nodded and he stood to leave the room, taking his glass with him to keep him marginally drunk while he waited on me. Wolf followed the tricky Irishman with his glowing eyes, picking out which parts of him he'd like to bite first. We settled on his right hand - content with the knowledge, he'd be overly irritated when we destroyed his drinking hand.

Carver remained quiet beside Arya when she returned to her seat. Running a hand through her long hair, a gentle touch I hadn't thought him capable of. Perhaps this is what the bond does - turns us inside out. Changes our very instinct to ensure the female fate had bestowed, was forever left in more domesticated hands. I'd like to think so, I burned at the idea of hurting my witch's skin, it had become almost unbearable. I caught his black eyes for a moment, a shimmer of joy he failed to hide. I managed a small smile in response to the brother I'd been reborn to, a new family to replace the one I'd forgotten. A man who knew the darkest parts of me and thoroughly rejoiced over this female I'd captured, someone soft to wear down my hardest angles.

The pale female stood and smiled towards Sasha, taking her leave of the group who still had minor issues to discuss. I'd spend the rest of the evening with Carver and Charlie, going over the details and the expected miles of forest Duncan supposedly occupied. He'd find me soon enough, I had no doubt about that, but I'd need to be easily tracked without being obvious - a harder job than it sounded. Sasha waved to the blonde's retreating back, making me realise for the first time that she'd made a friend in my pack - started to put down roots in the home I wanted to be hers. I rumbled low against her neck and pulled her further onto my lap, squeezing a little too tight when she squeaked back at me. "You like that...female?"

She struggled in my grip and I debated not releasing her. "Yes, she's nice. She has a name you know."

I grunted, but liked the sound of her amusement." She's pale, blonde female...because of the first time...I saw her."

Sasha grinned and shook her head. "When Charlie turned up? Thought you were too interested in what I thought of him to notice anyone else."

I laughed, although it came out slightly strangled. She already knew I watched her so avidly, everything else faded in comparison."No, saw her the first day. She came running from...the border, Duncan had killed...her friend."

Sasha's grin dropped from her face and Wolf scraped talons down my side for making her pretty smile go away. "I didn't know she'd lost someone so few days ago." She sighed and slumped against my chest. "I should have asked, I thought it had been family or her mate that hadn't returned all those months ago."

I rubbed a hand across her arm, marveling at the tiny hairs that raised to meet my palm."No mate - she's not marked."

She raised her eyebrows at me in question and I grunted back at her, already slightly bored with talking about a wolf I wasn't interested in. "Other wolves claim on the neck...shows it off in human form, warns the others away. I just like biting you...don't mind having to...re-do that one on your neck."

She smacked a hand against my arm but couldn't hide a little twitch working it's way back over her lips. Wolf was impressed with my smile making abilities. With the conversation centering around biting, I became utterly focused on the mark that would need to be repeated before I left - a thought that dispelled all other conversation from taking place. I gestured my head at Charlie and Carver to head to the office, aiming to finish as soon as possible so I could take my witch somewhere private and bite her as many times as I wanted. She caught my intention as my eyes focused on her neck and a pretty flush heated the sun-kissed skin to blushing pink.

I released her quickly before I forgot we needed to reach privacy first. I let the Captain precede me to the living room door, wanting to look at raven silk hair and summer tan for a moment longer. She winked at me - teasing witch - and I grumbled as I tasted her lips just the once before following the others to the office. I wasn't overly concerned - this wolf had outlived his usefulness. Betrayed the guard that made him, spat in the face of the men that fought and bled with him.

Tomorrow he'd die. There was no other plausible outcome.