Fire of the Wolf [The Gray Pack] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (14 page)

“The answer is yes, they are wolves, too, sugar,” Devin answered, and she saw the two men in question smile wider, clearly knowing where her female mind had gone. “They are pack members, but not directly family. Although, I like to think of them as my brothers.”

Rafe laughed out loud at this statement, “Hell yeah we’re brothers, after everything we’ve suffered through with you, Devin!”

That got a loud laugh from everyone, and even Devin smiled.

“They are actually
my
foster brothers, though I don’t admit that very often. I would hate to be lumped in with these soft pups.” Liam’s eyes sparkled with laughter as he teased the two blonde hunks. Ryley reached over the table to smack him in the back of the head which brought on another round of laughter. She decided she liked this rough and rowdy group of men, and she hoped she would like the rest of her new family as much.

“Okay, boys, clear the ladies out, we need to get our business over with so that I can relax.” Devin indicated the two women seated with them, and his tone shut down any real argument from the men.

The two women however, looked disappointed and whined a bit as the guys moved to let them out of the booth. Eventually they wandered off to find someone else’s arm to cling to. Caroline sat there nervously unsure of whether or not she was supposed to stay or go away, too, but Devin’s arm remained tight around her shoulder, and Damon’s hand on her upper thigh kept her seated.

“Tommie said that Barton is headed this way as we speak. He may already be here. Apparently Tommie’s friend lost their trail just outside of the Des Moines city limits.” Owen was looking at Devin, but speaking to the group. Caroline’s brow furrowed as she tried to remember if someone had told her who Tommie was. And who was Barton?

“Damn. If he challenges me, I’ll have to kill him. I can’t leave him wounded to challenge me again later. This is not what I need right now.” Devin ran a hand through his black hair in obvious frustration.

“What is he thinking? Why would he think that anyone in our pack would follow him as their leader? Most of his own pack doesn’t even respect him as their Alpha!” Damon was clearly agitated at the conversation, too.

It was Cash who leaned in closer and said, “Devin, we have the guys all on high alert, and if someone catches even a glimpse of his hide around here, we will know it. We can’t wait for him to attack us. We need to be on the offense.”

Caroline caught the glint of hunger for battle in his eyes, and looking around the table she could see the barely controlled rage and anxiety in each man. They were itching for a fight with this Barton guy, and Caroline just couldn’t understand why.

“No, that’s exactly what we are going to do. We are going to hold back and wait for his move. We all know that the other members of the Gray Pack will never accept Barton as their leader, but he is arrogant. He has hated me since we were kids and I showed him up in Memphis. His father gave him such a whooping that day that I even felt bad for him. If he wants a fight, he will have it, but I won’t be accused of starting this war.” Devin was restraining his own anger and trying to force a sense of calm on the group, but Caroline could feel it in his muscles. Whoever this Barton guy was, clearly he was a threat to him, and in turn to her.

“Who knows about Caroline?” Cash asked quietly. Caroline wasn’t even sure she heard the question clearly over the music, but Damon’s response cleared up her confusion.

“Only you guys know about our mate right now, but if Barton finds out, he will do everything in his power to use her against Devin. He will assume that she is his Achilles heel. We all know what happens to a wolf when their mate is taken from them. If he gets to her, the battle is over.” There was an ominous silence as he paused and physically shook himself as if trying to clear the thoughts from his head before continuing. “We were planning to take her to the den this week over the full moon for her first change though, so everyone else will find out then. I’m gonna need to call the chief because Dev and I need to be with her until Barton is found. We’ll have to find coverage for our shifts at the station.” Damon looked at Devin who silently nodded his agreement.

“Hold on a second. You guys are talking about me like I’m not here? Who is this Barton guy, and why would he give a rat’s ass about me? I’ve never done anything to him. And why would you need to take time off of work to stay with me? I’m a big girl. In fact I’ve lived alone for the last decade and done just fine. I even know how to shoot a gun, and trust me I would shoot to kill.” Caroline couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice. These men were acting like sexist apes. They weren’t going to sit here and make decisions for her.

“Shit, why can’t I find a good woman that can shoot?” Rafe grumbled.

“You’ll be lucky if you can ever find any woman who will tolerate your cranky ass, bro, much less a good one.” Ryley and the others laughed at his joke, but it was clear that they were all deadly serious about this situation.

“Caroline, Barton is an Alpha. His pack—the Diego Pack—is denned in Chicago. He is a power-hungry wolf who has decided he wants my pack to be his as well. I believe you when you say you think you can take care of yourself, but this isn’t the average guy. You can’t shoot him and do any real damage. He is a werewolf, and he has nothing to lose. He can, and will take advantage of my bond with you. I have no doubt. I want you protected, and that means having someone with you at all times.” Devin’s tone was bossy and controlling. Completely Alpha, was Caroline’s first thought. She decided it would be better not to argue with him while they were out in public, but they would talk more about this at home.

“So we’re all just going to go about our lives like there isn’t a crazy wolf after us?” she asked incredulously. The other men wouldn’t meet her eyes as she looked around the table. They were obviously going to follow Devin on this one.

“Yep, and I plan on dancing with my mate while my brother gets us some sustenance. Let’s go!” Damon’s smile was contagious as he pushed on her side. Devin moved out of the booth to let them up, and Damon took her cowboy hat off, dropping it in his bother’s waiting hands. Then he pulled her toward the dance floor. Her irritation melted away as he spun her around into a quick dip before dropping a soft kiss on her lips. Then, grabbing her hand, he led her toward the dance floor.

She heard a long, low whistle behind her, and grinned back at Liam over her shoulder just to get under Devin’s skin. All six males behind her had their eyes glued to her denim-covered ass as she walked away, and she couldn’t resist the extra sway in her step just to twist the knife.

Behave, sugar, or I will spank your ass when we get home.
Devin’s voice in her head was husky with desire, so she shot back at him.

Promises, promises.

Damon swung her around into a slow dance as the loud music softened, and he pulled her close to him. Their foreheads met as he stared into her eyes. She could see the controlled heat in them as their bodies pressed together, and her now-hard nipples rubbed against his chest. She moaned softly when he pulled her arms up around his neck and slid his hands down into her back pockets to hold her ass. Everyone around them disappeared as they seemed to move together as one unit. They rocked together in perfect harmony for the length of the song, and into the second slow song. The cotton of her shirt seemed to rasp erotically against her breasts, and her fingers found a path of their own through the hair at the nape of his neck. He pressed his erection hard against her and pulled her pelvis to meet him. They went from dancing to swaying with their own grinding motions. His heated masculine scent seared her brain and brought her blood to a rapid boil.

Her knees wobbled as she grew hornier, and she couldn’t resist rising up on her toes to kiss him softly. Her lips drifted across his, and her tongue darted out to lick the seam of his mouth. She let her kisses roam down his neck, and she licked his pulse point hotly.

“How long until we can get out of here, Damon?” she whispered into his mouth, and he growled low in his chest.

“Oh, beautiful, I’m ready to get you naked now, but we have to wait until after Cash’s set. He sings tonight, and he should be going on stage here shortly. Besides, Dev and I promised you a good night out. I promise, we will get naked the second I get you home.” He pulled away from her reluctantly, and she could see the ridge his hard-on made in his jeans.

She looked down at her own nipples which stared back pointedly through her shirt. There was no hiding her need, so she lifted her chin, and proudly headed back to the table with him. He kept his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and she let herself lean heavily against him. He looked down at her, meeting her eyes. His face gave away his desire as his nostrils flared at her damp scent, and she felt more confident in herself as a woman than she ever had in her life. She intended to keep these two as turned-on as possible, so that they would get her home and screw her as hard as possible. She wanted them to forget their stresses and focus on how good they could feel with her. She felt like a whole person when they were holding her.

They reached the table and quickly took their seats as a waitress served the dinner that Devin had ordered for them. The waitress brought fresh beer, multiple plates with huge cheeseburgers, and baskets full of French fries. She watched the men all dug in to the food, and couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“What?” Liam asked.

“You guys sure eat like animals!” She was now laughing hard, and they all started laughing with her as they looked around the table. Five men, one woman, twelve cheeseburgers, and six baskets of fries surrounded them. “How do you ever afford groceries?”

“Usually we are fairly satisfied after the full moon because we can hunt, but the few days leading up to it we are always hungry. For everything,” Damon answered her, with a tempting wiggle of his eyebrows to indicate his meaning with his last statement.

Caroline blushed as the other men all laughed and agreed. She was truly enjoying herself, surrounded by these guys who laughed and joked with each other. They were close, and for a just a moment she envied their sense of family. Damon sensed her slight withdrawal and pulled her closer to him to whisper in her ear.

“They are your family, too, Caroline. Trust them, and they will protect you just like Dev and I. You are their Alpha’s mate, and they will show you that respect, but they also want to be your friend.” She met his gaze, and he brushed a quick kiss over her lips.

As usual it was the perfect thing to say to make her feel better. She relaxed into his arms, and listened to the group chat. No one brought up Tommie, or Barton, or the impending challenge and danger again, so Caroline wondered if she had overreacted a bit at the conversation. Clearly they weren’t all that concerned about it, so she wouldn’t be either. She would just cherish this moment with her new family.

Cash got up a few minutes later and left the table, so that he could prepare for his set on stage. Caroline watched as he and his band took the stage. He walked with such a cocky swagger, and smiled with such charm that she could see he could have a seriously successful music career without ever singing. She wondered why he would choose to be a fireman when he controlled a crowd with just a look, and then when he started to sing, she was floored. He was amazing! His voice was deep and husky as it rumbled over the crowd, sending women into quivers of desire, and setting men to rocking in their boots. The people loved him, and Caroline found herself bouncing in her chair to the music.

She was surprised when Devin gripped her hand and pulled her from her seat so that he could lead her out to the dance floor. She had never line danced in her life, but she was swept up in the enthusiastic crowd and learned the steps quickly. She laughed and danced until her feet hurt, and sweat glistened on her brow. Devin, too, was laughing and grinning at her as he watched her dance.

“Damn, sugar, you didn’t tell us you were a country girl at heart. I love watching you move.” His tone was intimate and filled with heat as he watched her dance. She couldn’t resist adding a little more shimmy to her moves, knowing that he was watching her and getting turned on.

When he finally led her back to the booth, Cash had just ended his set and swaggered offstage. Just before they took their seats, Devin pulled her against him and kissed her with more passion than she had ever felt from him. She knew the other men watched them, and she decided she didn’t care. She tangled her fingers in his hair and held him close while they kissed. He stroked her tongue and swept his own into every part of her mouth. He nibbled her lips, and Caroline thought she was going to burst into flames.

“I think I’m going to need a fireman, babe, someone who can help me put out my fire.” She whispered the words, but heard the other guys at the table crack up as their keen wolf sense of hearing caught what she said.

“Damon, let’s go,” Devin demanded, and he winked at her before he turned back to the table full of men. “We’ll see you boys later at the den.”

With that he spun on his heels and tugged Caroline along with him as they left the bar for his truck. Caroline’s clit was humming, and her throat was tight. She needed to come so bad that she reached out and grabbed Damon as they all settled into the front seat of the truck. She was between the two men, and logically she knew that the truck wasn’t the best place to fuck, but she was out of her mind with desire. The kiss she gave Damon was mind-blowing, and pushed her over the edge of reason.