Caleb (46 page)

Allie
jerked and shuddered. Her hands clenched on his waist, talons digging in,
pulling him closer. “Maybe not.”

He
did it again slower, longer, dragging the sensation out, delighting in her
response, her pleasure. “Ah, baby, you burn me up.”

“Good,
because I’m damn close to ash.”

The
third pass had her arching and making demands. “Stop teasing me.”

“But
I like teasing you. Your face gets all flushed, you’re eyes sparkle, and you
get so deliciously wet.”

“You
forgot something.”

Both
eyes opened to slits. “What?”

“I
also get distinctly . . .” Another tantalizing stroke. “Ah . . .” She gasped.
“Homicidal.”

Unbelievably,
he laughed. His balls full to bursting, needing her so badly that it felt like
he was about to explode out of his skin, and she had him laughing. “I’ll keep
it in mind.”

His
fangs extended fully into his mouth as her heels drummed on his thighs. Damn,
she was sweet. “Are you ready for me, Allie?”

She
nodded and then thrusted up her breasts as she sucked in a hard breath that
left no doubt. Her fangs dug against her lips. She was definitely losing
control, but she wasn’t there yet. Caleb cupped her buttocks in his palms,
squeezing the firm flesh, separating the soft globes, smiling at her whimper
and glare, and then inched his hand down her thigh, dragging his nails ever so
lightly on her skin, thrusting gently along her slick crease as he tickled the
back of her knee.

“Darn
it, Caleb.”

Her
leg jerked back, creating a niche he moved into as he continued to tease,
squeezing her calf, cupping her heel, then wrapping his fingers around her
ankle and then lifting it up over his shoulder as he took a step back. As
natural as breathing, his cock snuggled into the tiny well that awaited him. A
bit of pressure and Allie’s eyes widened as her tendons stretched right along
with her body.

“Relax.
You’re going to like this.”

He
pressed in. There was an initial moment of resistance and then those brilliant
blue eyes closed as she moaned. “That’s it.” He leaned forward, giving her that
first breath-stealing inch. “Just like that.”

He
paused, granting her a moment to adjust, checking for any signs of pain. There
weren’t any. From the tight set of her face to the desperate fluttering of her
inner muscles, she was a woman on the edge of climax.

“Pretty,
pretty Allie,” he whispered as he bent, taking possession of her body and her
blissful cry as he sank deep, giving the latter back to her in his own groan as
the blisteringly hot softness accepted him. All of him, hugging him with
desperate entreaty. Too much to resist.

“Ah,
damn.” His forehead dropped to hers. Magic. She was magic.

She
opened her eyes. This close, it was too hard to focus, but there was no
mistaking her tension for anything other than it was. He held perfectly still.
He didn’t want to come yet. Not yet. This was too perfect. She was too perfect.

And
this lesson was too important. If there was one thing he could give her, it was
his own faith in her. “Hold still.”

A
shake of her head. “I don’t want to.”

The
sexy airiness of her high-pitched denial took the intensity one notch higher.

“I
want to make this good.”

“It
is good,” she moaned. “Very good.”

Yes
it was. “But not good enough.”

Her
mouth met his, her tongue flicking along his lips, her fangs scraping gently.
He opened his mouth. The growl that purred between them was definitely wild. As
wild as her kiss. Lust flared. Caleb tucked his thumb between them, finding the
swollen flange of flesh that screamed for attention.

He
took over the kiss, pressing her into the mattress, pinning her with his kiss,
his body, his cock, as she writhed beneath him. Her claws sank into his
shoulders. Her teeth found the artery in his neck. Her “Yes” was a primal
scream in his mind as she bit down.

His
own satisfaction exploded right alongside hers as she drank his blood, his
energy, his passion. And he didn’t fight, letting her take what she needed,
unable in that moment to deny her anything. She was his mate. Her survival was
most important. He sank into her energy, the bliss of climax, holding her
through the storm, steadying her as she fought with her need, lust, and love.
And as he held her in that deepest level, he felt something else. Something
wonderful. Something that brought every inch of his primitive instincts to the
fore in a primal roar. The tiny flutter of new life.

“WE’VE
got trouble.”

Caleb
slid into the shadows of the clearing alongside Derek. Below, shadowy figures
haunted the edges of the clearing. Sanctuary vamps. “How many?”

“Just
two. So far.”

“Shit.”

Derek
looked over his shoulder. “They’re scouting the area.”

“Yeah.”

“Word
from the D’Nallys is there’s a gathering of activity south of here.”

“For
attack?”

“Maybe.
And there’s a lot of new blood joining the fray.”

“Why?”

“Apparently
there’s a hefty reward for whoever brings Allie to the Sanctuary compound.”

“And
here I was hoping that killing Vincent would be the end of it.”

“That
would have been too easy.”

Derek
sighted his rifle on the two wolves hunkered down in the brush. “There’s only
one reason why they’d push so hard for her.”

Caleb
filled in the blank. “They suspect she’s pregnant.”

“Hate
to burst your bubble, but this much activity would indicate they know.”

“How?”

“Could
have been the way you broadcasted the news when you found out for sure.”

Caleb
winced. He didn’t know what had come over him in that moment, but he hadn’t
been able to resist it. Part challenge, part victory, he’d opened his mind and
shouted his impending fatherhood to all who could hear. “I was kind of hoping
the news would stay local.”

“Apparently
not.”

“Apparently.”

He
studied the energy coming off the two wolves. Vamp, not were. That at least was
a blessing. For a second he’d feared it would be the D’Nallys. “Where do the
D’Nallys stand on this?”

“Best
I can tell, they’re pissed intruders are trespassing on their territory.”

Derek
reset the safety on the gun as four wolves stalked the two intruders from
below. A scan revealed them as were. Derek rested the rifle butt back on the
ground.

“They’ve
been taking them out as fast as they appear.”

“So
they haven’t joined them yet?”

“And
it’s doubtful they will. The D’Nallys might hate your brother with a passion,
but they’re damn clannish. They fight where they want, when they want, with no
loyalty to any cause but their own.”

The
four wolves took out the vamp wolves with silent, lethal efficiency. Blood
dripped from the lead wolf’s jaws as he looked directly at Caleb, eyes glowing
yellow within his black mask in the faint moonlight, his ruff standing on end,
a challenge in the set of his shoulders.

“Let’s
hope they stay unattached. That is not a clan we need fighting against us en
masse.”

“You
can say that again. It’s been tough enough with the feud we have.”

Caleb
jerked his chin at the wolf, returning the challenge, meeting strength for
strength. The wolf yipped at his companions, and then loped away. Caleb didn’t
get the impression they’d gotten anything settled with the exchange beyond the
fact that if either of them picked a fight, the other was willing to settle it.
“Damn!”

“Kind
of wish Jace hadn’t alienated them,” Derek muttered. “It’d be good to have them
on our side.”

If
wishes were horses they’d all take a ride. But they weren’t, and they were
stuck with what they had. “For sure a fight’s coming?”

“Yup.”

“With
the prize being Allie?”

“Yup.”

He
cut him a wry glance. “I would’ve been a lot happier if you’d just answered
that last one no.”

“I’ll
work on my dishonesty.”

“Don’t
bother.”

Derek
was one of the most trustworthy men he knew. If he told a body they’d live,
they did, and if he told them they’d die, they died. Either from his hand or
whatever ailed them. The rest of his pack possessed the same unwavering loyalty
and honesty. “Have I mentioned lately how glad I am you’re on our side?”

Derek
stood with a ripple of muscle that reminded Caleb how tough the big man really
was. The kind a man wanted guarding his back in tight quarters.

“You
could show your appreciation by having Allie whip up some more of those bear
claws.”

He
shook his head. “That might be more than I can finagle. You’re still on her
shit list.”

“Don’t
tell her they’re for me.”

“I
could do that.”

They’d
been together too long for Derek to miss the slight emphasis on “could.” He
slung the rifle over his shoulder. “But what?”

“But
I need something from you first.”

“Which
would be?”

“I
need you to talk to the D’Nallys.” Caleb adjusted his hat on his head. “We need
this feud settled.”

“Hell,
the only reason we’re still on speaking terms is because we don’t speak of you
all.”

And
because the McClaren weres didn’t involve themselves in the Johnson-D’Nally
feud. Caleb understood that.

“It’s
time to break with tradition.”

Derek
glanced in the direction the wolves had gone. “This could put them over the
edge.”

“It
could also get them to spill why they’re so dead set against my brothers and
me.”

Derek’s
expression closed. “They have their reasons.”

“Which
none of you will share.”

“It
doesn’t concern you.”

“So
you keep telling me, but it feels damn personal whenever one of them tries to
sink their teeth into me.”

Derek
smiled, his canines gleaming faintly. “I bet it does.”

Caleb
pushed his hat back and followed the direction of Derek’s gaze. “I know it’s a
lot to ask, but with Allie being pregnant, there’s more at risk here than pride.”

Derek
rubbed his chin. “We might be able to work the angle of her pregnancy. With
wolf births down to almost nil, it’s a safe bet a vamp getting pregnant is
going to raise interest.”

“Because
vamps don’t get pregnant?”

“So
everyone used to believe, but Allie’s sure put a kink in that.” He rubbed his
chin again. “They’re going to want something in return.”

“Anything.”

“Even
if it’s Allie or your brother?”

Damn!
“Anything short of that.”

“You
don’t ask much.”

“YOU
don’t ask much.”

Allie
stood by the old stove, testing the heat with her hand.

“He’s
a good man.”

“The
jury is still out on that.”

“He
loves your cooking.”

“That’s
one point in his favor with about forty still against.”

“He’s
saved my life twice.”

She
cast a knowing glance at him from under her eyebrows. “And you’ve saved his a
time or two, I understand, which makes you about even.”

Caleb
forced a sigh, pretending an exasperation he didn’t feel, the same way Allie
was pretending an aversion she didn’t have. The instant he’d reminded her about
Derek saving his life she’d caved, inside where it mattered. The display now
was nothing more than pride. “He’s my friend, Allie.”

The
heavy oven door closed with a thunk. She dropped the oven mitt to the counter.
“And that means what to me?”

“It
means if he wants bear claws, you could bake them for him.”

She
untied her apron. “And what will you give me in return?”

The
seductive sway of her hips as she took a step toward him clued him in to which
direction her thoughts had traveled. He took a step closer, meeting her
halfway. Her next step brought her into his arms where she belonged. He tugged
her head back, catching her smile with his lips in a hard kiss. She smelled of
woman, hunger, and sweet dough. “How about a kiss?”

“Getting
there.”

“How
about I play with your pretty breasts?”

She
stood on tiptoe sliding her body up his in one long caress. His cock twitched
as her lips brushed his ear. “If I tell you I’m not wearing any panties, does
that give you an idea?”

The
knowledge froze him in place. Ten minutes ago the kitchen had been full of
weres and his brothers and she’d been running around in that short skirt of
hers that showed way too much of her legs, and nothing beneath?