Brink Of Passion (Alpine Woods Shifters) (26 page)

She chuckled, placing a kiss against his chest.

“Whatever you say, dear.”

Laurie stared at the wall, content to lay in Max’s arms. The room smelled like a hospital, but underneath, Max’s scent comforted her wolf.

“You never got to visit your family,” Max said after a moment.

Laurie patted him on the chest. “They’ll understand. I had other things to attend to.”

“We can visit them together once we’re better.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Their joined hands settled over the center of his chest. The steady beat of his heart combined with the warmth of him surrounding her lulled her to a contented sleep.

*****

Max felt helpless as he stared at the grief pouring out of Leah in gulping sobs. She’d barely gotten four words out after they had all gathered in her hospital room the day after the attack. Her explanation dissolved into a broken strand of “I’m sorry” strung together.

Surprisingly, Laurie moved first, grabbing his cousin’s hand and pulling it away from her face. She touched her forehead to Leah’s and whispered words of comfort.

“It’s okay, Leah. No one blames you. We just want to know what happened.” Ryan, ever the temperate one.

“Please blame me.”

“You are not him,” Max said, his voice gruffer than intended.

“You don’t understand,” she countered, misery in every word.

“Help us understand.” The gentleness in Tyler’s usually gruff voice surprised Max. Then again, they weren’t dealing with just anyone. Leah was family. They’d grown up playing hide-and-seek together. Shared dinner and cried on each other’s shoulders. And yesterday, her mate had shot her and put her through the emotional wringer.

“I knew.”

Max had to step forward in order to hear the whispered words.

“Knew what?” Laurie asked, her thumb soothing over the hand she held.

“I knew what he was doing. I knew and I didn’t say anything.”

Shock blanketed him. Questions filled his mind. Where did he start? Once again, Laurie was the first to act, sliding her arm around his cousin and pulling her in for a comforting embrace.

“How long?” he choked out, torn between anger at her revelation and the desire to alleviate a loved one’s pain.

“Shortly after Vermont,” Leah admitted, her eyes peeping up at him. Vermont when he’d been shot at as Leopard.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

Her cries increased. Sobs torn from her throat. He hated pushing her, but he needed to know if he could trust her. Was she in on the plot, or a victim?

“He’s my mate,” she finally whispered.

A wave of understand hit him. Chad was not a good man, despite their belief in him for years. But whatever he’d been, he was still Leah’s mate. Perhaps his unmated cousins and brother would have a harder time understanding, but he understood the depth of that bond. Laurie would never turn him against his family, but if she tried, he’d be hard pressed to choose between the woman his leopard had chosen and the family he loved. Loyalty would be split, tearing him in two. A unique hell only another shifter could understand.

On the bed, Leah’s chant of “I’m sorry” had started again. He understood why she’d done what she’d done, but could he forgive? Her mate had almost cost him his mate, his brother, a cousin, and his own life. But as he stared at the pathetic portrait she made, he realized he held no ill will. It might have come late, but Leah had come to warn them. In the end, she’d chosen family. And the fate she suffered now was something he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.

Spurred to action, Max crossed to the bed and replaced Laurie’s hand with his own.

“It’s okay. We will get through this together, Leah.”

She cried harder, but her whispered apologies had finally stopped. He leaned down and placed a kiss against her head. Healing the gunshot wound would be easy. Healing the scars from her mate’s betrayal would take longer. But they’d get her through it. Whatever the future held, they would tackle it. Together.

Epilogue

A smile tugged at the corner of Laurie’s mouth as she neared Max. Images that sure as hell weren’t coming from her brain assaulted her. Did he think she had a naughty nurse outfit, or was he hinting he wanted her to get one?

It had been three weeks since she’d come home from the hospital. Max had been released a week before her, but spent every night in her room, watching over her. Was he feeling a bit nostalgic, or did he just have a thing for sponge baths?

His eyes smoldered. She pictured running her hands over his chest as it glistened with soapy water. She’d play nurse if it meant having him at her command.

When she reached him, Max pulled her into her arms and kissed her until her knees weakened. His teeth nipped at her bottom lip before moving lower, over her jaw and down her neck. She tilted her head to the side to give him more access, sighing as his lips caressed her mating mark. Who would have thought mating Max would make her feel so complete? She hadn’t even realized something was missing from her life until Max came into her world and filled the void.

Max lifted her hand between them and nipped at her fingers. His gaze held hers captive, not allowing her eyes to shut. The heat of his mouth as he sucked on her finger was hot enough to melt butter. Her pulse quickened. Tonight, she would give him a mating mark of her own and make him hers completely.

Something cold slid onto her finger, prompting her to break his stare. She looked down at the ring in shock. A circular diamond sat amongst an antique setting. Unique, and a little edgy. It was perfect.

“It was my great-grandmother’s,” he said, sweeping his lips up her cheekbone.

“It’s perfect.” She couldn’t tear her eyes away.

“Is that a yes?” he teased, pulling her gaze to his.

“Yes to what? I didn’t hear a question.”

“You know the question.”

“I still want to hear it.”

He rolled his eyes, but dropped to one knee. The city lights sparkled like thousands of stars behind him.

“Laurie Callahan, marry me.”

“I still didn’t hear a question.” But the smile wouldn’t be contained any longer. “Yes,” she exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms. He grunted at the impact, rolling backward until she straddled him on the floor. Then she rained kisses over his face and chest as she unbuttoned his shirt.

His hands were just as frantic, tearing her shirt in his haste to remove it. A growl escaped as she fumbled with the buttons of his jeans, giving up for a moment to paw his bulge through the material. He moaned against her chest, the heat of his breath causing her nipples to bead in anticipation.

Finally, blissfully, he was free. Wasting no more time than it took to remove her own jeans, she took him in her hand and guided him inside her. She hissed in pleasure as he stretched her, her fingernails scraping trails down his back as he leaned up to suck on her neck.

She arched as she thrust herself against him, gasping as she found the perfect spot for him inside her. Their moans mingled between them. His fingers bit into her hips hard enough to bruise, the small bite of pain increasing her pleasure.

“I love you,” she cried out.

“I love you so much, my little baked potato.”

Through the haze of passion, she heard the nickname, but she was too far gone to care. Arching her back, she pushed her chest against his as she increased the pace, racing toward the brink of passion. His lips closed over one nipple and she cried out, the pleasure too intense. Her hips jolted, losing the rhythm. Teeth scraped over the sensitive peak.

Pulling his head away, she captured his lips with hers. Tongues collided. Teeth nipped. All the while, the inferno built low in her stomach. She could feel the tension coiling inside.

The sting on her gums told her she was ready. Tilting her head, she sucked a patch of skin at the base of his neck before sinking her teeth into his flesh. His cock jerked inside her. The metallic taste of his blood mingled with the enzyme she released.

The orgasm crashed into her, dragging her under until she was gasping for air. Max’s cry split the night as he pulsed inside her, his seed spilling out between her legs. Ten sharp pricks pierced her ass as she rode out her release.

Spots danced at the edge of her vision as wave after wave of pleasure assailed her. Finally, she collapsed against him, his hands soothing the aches on her butt.

“Why do you call me so many random nicknames?” she asked after a moment, the memory of him calling her a baked potato floating through her mind.

“I call you everything because that’s what you are. My everything.” Warmth filled her chest. With a sigh, she cuddled against him, content to remain in his arms.

“You’re my everything too.”

*****

The house was silent as Haley stuffed an extra pair of jeans, some underwear, and two sweaters into the diaper bag. Everything Charlie needed was inside, and she’d pick up anything else along the way.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she made her way silently to the nursery next door. Charlie stood at the edge of the crib, watching her, his wide eyes filled with too much knowledge for a baby his age.

“Hey, big boy. You want to go on a little trip?” she whispered as she pulled him out of the crib. As if knowing the importance of what she intended, he didn’t utter a peep. His chubby arms wrapped around her neck, and he settled his head in the crook of her neck. She felt his fingers wrap themselves in her hair.

A surge of tenderness filled her. She twisted and placed a kiss against the blond ringlets covering his head. The fresh scent of baby powder surrounded her.

No matter what her parents thought, Charlie was the best thing to ever happen to her. And she wasn’t crazy. She knew what she saw three weeks ago when she’d gone to get him out of his crib. She didn’t know how, and she didn’t know why, but she knew that her son had somehow changed into a tiger cub.

Praying he stayed quiet, she crept down the hallway toward the stairs. A floorboard creaked under her weight, freezing her. She glanced toward her parents’ bedroom door, relieved to hear her father’s loud chainsaw snoring. Hopefully it would mask her departure.

Rubbing her hand over Charlie’s back, she continued her escape. She held her breath as she descended the stairs. Almost there. The door stood before her, a few feet away.

She had to succeed. Another day would have been too late. Last night, she’d overheard her parents discussing sending her away. For
help
. Because sane people didn’t see their babies turn into wild animals. How much longer would it have been before they sent Charlie away too? Or worse.

No matter what anyone thought, she knew she wasn’t crazy. Terrified, yes. But not crazy.

She couldn’t totally blame them for not believing her. At first, she hadn’t believed her own eyes. Had chalked it up to lack of sleep, or post pregnancy craziness, despite it being months too late for that. But what else was she supposed to think? The third time she’d seen him change, she’d been shocked, frightened, and a bit hysterical, but also sure that what she saw was real.

She’d stupidly thought her parents would have the answers and had sought their guidance. They’d seemed supportive, moving her and her baby into her childhood home, offering to help raise Charlie. She’d been so naïve to think everything was going to be just fine. Only to learn exactly what kind of
help
they meant to give.

She wasn’t crazy, she reassured herself again. She knew what she’d seen. So before they could separate her from her baby, she needed to get away. Where, she wasn’t sure, but there must be someone out there who knew what was happening to her son. One who could understand and help. There must be a sanctuary somewhere.

Briefly, she considered trying to track down Charlie’s father, but the faceless one-night stand left little for her to go on. All she had was the name, Rick, and the name of the bar they’d met in. She didn’t even know his last name. Certainly not enough to find him. And a private eye cost more money than she had to spend.

Foolish.

Charlie yawned and cuddled deeper against her as she silently closed the front door behind them. Foolish maybe, but out of that one night she’d gained something incredible.

Nothing, she vowed, would take him away from her.

About Sondrae Bennett

I love romance. I love reading romance, living romance (who doesn’t), but I especially love writing romance. There’s no greater feeling than watching my characters come alive in each other’s arms. Most of all, I love giving my character’s the happily ever afters they deserve.

My love of reading developed at a very young age. When other girls went to the mall to buy clothes in high school, I headed straight for the bookstore. Reading a good book still gives me such a rush, transporting me time and again into a different world.  By far my favorite world to escape to is romance.

One of my favorite things is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing myself in the emotions between the characters. To put myself in the place of the heroine, and fall in love with the hero, cursing the day I reach the last page because it means the end of my adventure. At least until I pick up the next book and fall in love all over again. I hope someday to inspire readers the way my favorite authors have inspired me.