Leader of the Pack (6 page)

Emily gasped, her body shuddering as waves of fulfillment washed over her. She felt his answering release and her soul seemed to fly from her body and meet his somewhere between heaven and earth.

CHAPTER SIX

“
Oh, God,” Emily moaned. “I don’t think I can move.”

“
You move just fine, babe, believe me.”

Both were on their backs. Jared had one arm over his eyes the other flung across Emily’s stomach as if to hold her in place.

Little did he know she had no energy to move. Or any desire. Which was really strange considering she was butt naked and sprawled out in all her natural glory.

All her jiggly, not so skinny natural glory.

“
Oh, God,” she moaned again. Where was the sheet, her clothes, something?

Immediately, Jared shifted positions, turning on his side to face her. “Did I hurt you?” he asked his voice laced with concern. He brushed the hair from her face, kissing her closed eyelids, her nose, her lips.

“
No, I’m fine,” she hastened to assure him. She was more than fine in that respect. In fact, her insides still quivered from her climax. “I just, umm, do you have any cover?”

“
Damn, you’re cold.” He started to move from the bed then laid back down, twisting to his side so he could see her face. “Emily, look at me,” he ordered.

Emily kept her eyes tightly shut. “I’d rather not right now.”

“
Emily.” She had never really understood the term ‘brooked no argument’ until she heard her name on his lips. There was no way she could disobey him.

She took a deep breath before she opened her eyes and met the icy blue of his.

Shit.

He looked pissed.

“
Yes, Jared?” she said, a brow raised in inquiry. She had worked in a male driven profession her entire life, give or take a few years in college when she was a waitress at the local pizza joint. But even that was male driven if you thought about it.

“
Why do you want cover, Emily?” he reached out to trace a line from her collarbone to her navel.

“
Why do you think?” No way was she admitting she didn’t want him seeing her naked while not indulging in a little slap and tickle.

“
Oh, it could be because you’re cold I suppose. I do see some indication that you are.” He made a lazy circle around her already puckered aureole. “Are you cold, Emily?”

“
Yes,” she lied.

“
Because I’d hate to think that you wanted something to cover up this beautiful body.” He bent to kiss one puckered nipple. A pucker they both knew had nothing to do with the slight chill in the room. “Because I did warn you about that, didn’t I?”

Emily closed her eyes, picturing in her mind’s eye what he was seeing. Breasts fallen slightly to the sides because of her good friend gravity. Her stomach flattened but was now thicker and her thighs wider.

“
Emily, Emily, Emily,” he chided as he leaned close to her ear. “What are you thinking? I bet those are thoughts you want to share with me, aren’t they?”

She shook her head, unwilling to open her eyes.

She squeaked as the she was pulled from the bed, her world upended when she found herself face down on his lap as he sat in the edge of the bed. He placed one arm around her waist to hold her in place and the used the other to caress her buttocks. She grabbed his legs for balance.

“
What are you doing?” she squealed.

“
I am showing my mate what happens when she disobeys me.”

“
Jared, let me up right now,” she demanded still trying to catch her breath.

“
I will. Eventually.” He slapped her ass.

Emily yelped. He had done little more than swat her but her feminist side rose at the position she found herself in.

The woman in her shivered at the position she found herself in.

He slapped her again, this time hard enough to sting.

“
Jared, please stop.”

He tightened his hold around her waist and pulled her closer to his body. His dick jammed against her side. His hard, swollen dick. “You are my mate, Emily. This body is mine, the same as my body is yours. Am I to your liking?”

She tried to push herself into a sitting position. He growled. Huffing she stopped and snapped, “Of course I like your body, Jared, you’re a freaking Adonis. Now let me up!”

Smack, smack, smack, smack. He delivered four hard blows. They made her skin burn. And. Well, they turned her on. She could feel her juices starting to flow again. What the hell was wrong with her? The man was spanking her for heaven’s sake.

“
You are beautiful, Emily. And you are mine. Now relax and enjoy, your punishment is over. This is purely for pleasure.” His hand came down again, alternating between her cheeks.

Emily panted. The blows came closer and closer to her cunt and she wanted him to strike her there, anything to relieve the pressure building. She wanted to come so badly. “Jared,” she whispered.

“
I know, sweetheart, just a little bit more. Trust me.” He spanked her ten more times. On the tenth blow he jerked her legs apart and jammed three fingers inside her. Emily screamed as her orgasm slammed through her.

Before the waves of pleasure had subsided, she was on her hands and knees on the floor his cock inside her. He forced her head down so he could penetrate her deeper. He grunted as he fucked her. She whimpered as his thrusts grew harder. She wanted to come again. No she needed to come again. But the pleasure eluded her, staying just out of reach. Jared hunched over her back and his thrusts grew faster. His mouth found the tender skin between her neck and shoulder and she knew he was going to bite her again. As his teeth sunk into her flesh she exploded and the world around her faded away.

Once they had recovered, Jared insisted they take a shower, which led to him “soothing” her tender places again, which led to another round of loving. This time they took each other under the soft, warm spray of the water. Emily eyes filled with tears as he’d entered her. She closed them hoping he wouldn’t see. She didn’t want him to see the emotion she knew would be swirling in her eyes. Because she knew, deep in the place all women know, that she had found the man she would love for the rest of her life.

After he left the loft, Emily dressed in the clothes he had given her. Another of his soft t-shirts, this one green, and a pair of black jogging pants. She looked around for her jeans but didn’t see them. Spying a lump of black material under the edge of the bed, she bent down to see what it was. It was her jeans alright, what were left of them. They had been shredded.

Well, damn, she thought to herself, those had been her favorite jeans. But then she remembered how they had come to be in that condition and grinned. All women should lose a pair of their favorite jeans the exact same way.

She looked at the bedside clock and realized it was well past two in the afternoon. The past hours seemed almost surreal but she knew they had happened.

Rachel was missing

Vampires existed.

And she had slept with a werewolf.

Get a grip girl. You did not sleep with a werewolf. You just slept with a man with some mighty fine beast like qualities.

Suddenly images flashed through her mind and sensations rushed across her skin. Things she knew were not from her own mind but that of Jared’s. Images of a full bright moon, sensations of wind and rain on a pelt of dark, thick fur.

She couldn’t go there. Not yet. Her first priority was Rachel. She pushed everything else from her thoughts and went downstairs.

Jared had prepared chicken salad sandwiches and chips. She wanted to refuse the food, but one look at his face told her that might not be a good option. Instead she took her plate and drink and thanked him. He rewarded her with a long, deep kiss.

While they ate they talked. She told him all she knew about Rachel and the story she had been covering. They pulled up Emily’s email account and watched the video she’d received. He made copious notes as he concentrated on the images flashing on the screen. He played the clip several times before he was satisfied.

“
You’re not really with the FBI, are you?” She wrote down the list of addresses she had traced to the men Rachel had been investigating.

“
Yeah, I am,” he smiled. “Want to see my badge?” He shrugged his shoulders as if denying he was doing anything special. “It’s natural for me. I like to protect those weaker than me. And humans are weaker. Plus it gives the pack eyes and ears in the government.”

He pulled on his coat, the sight of him in the long trench making her knees weak. He was just so God damn sexy. He took her in his arms and slanted his lips across hers. He sucked and nibbled but didn’t attempt to deepen it. Almost as if he was comforting her. “Maria and Shawn will help me check out these properties. There’s more food in the fridge and a television above the mantle. I would take you out tonight but there’s someone I need to see. I’ll fix us something to eat when I’m through.”

“
Someone who might know who took the women?” Emily let him talk hoping the anger and hurt did not show in her face. Or lord forbid, in her smell. How could he so casually dismiss her and her efforts to find Rachel? She gripped the edge of his coat as he kissed her once again before pulling away. He hadn’t answered her question, but then, she hadn’t expected that he would.

“
I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said. His brow drew together. “Are you alright?”

Emily drew in a shallow breath, willing her hurt away. “I’m fine. Did you say there was a television somewhere?”

“
The remote’s on the table.” He stopped by front door. “Are you sure everything’s okay, Emily?”

“
I’m sure,” she forced herself to smile. It was really sad when the person you knew you loved did not understand you. She wanted to help her friend. No she needed to help her friend. She had to believe he would come to understand her. That he would want to understand her.

She waited until she heard the roar of the engine before she sat back down at the computer. She had made sure – by distracting him with a kiss – that he hadn’t turned it off. Hoping he didn’t have some unknown security system in place, she started a search of his files. Who was he doing to meet tonight and why?

Ten minutes later she had her answer or what she thought was her answer. She found her gun and holster and pulled on her down-filled vest. She left a note on the kitchen counter telling him where she was going. She didn’t think he would be back to stop her from searching the first couple of houses. But maybe they would meet up at his “secret” location. Some secret. The man had no security on his computer system.

Closing the door behind her, she frowned over the lack of any lock. She looked around realizing for the first time how isolated Jared’s cabin really was. There was a gravel road leading out and not much of anything else. Except for trees. Lots and lots of trees.

The cool autumn air made her shiver and wish for the heavier coat she’d left in her car. A car she had to retrieve sometime today. Right know her biggest obstacle was finding her way out of the woods. Suddenly she knew what Little Red Riding Hood must have felt like. Emily took her thoughts firmly in hand. No more thinking about the supernatural. Everything that had happened in the last few days – the last few hours – was going to be easily explained. She just knew it.

Taking another deep breath, she started walking. She’d follow the lane, which should take her to a major road, which should lead into town, which should lead to her hotel. And a hot bubble bath. A half hour soaking in jasmine scented water and she’d be a new woman ready to start the search for Rachel again. Even though she had given Jared five addresses, she hadn’t shared the other three she’d discovered. Some of the men on the list had more than one piece of property in their name. Plus several of the women as well. She had no doubt Jared would discover that when he ran his own search on the men and women. And she had the address of his mystery meeting. It was just a matter of when and where Jared would catch her.

She’d think about her life and her choice of sleeping partners later.

Much later.

CHAPTER
SEVEN

“
Going somewhere?” Emily jumped at the silkily spoken words.

Jared stood in the shadows of the woods. For a brief instant all she saw were glowing embers where his eyes should be. Then the flame disappeared, replaced by the azure blue she had come to love. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“
Good, you need to be scared. You need to be so badly frightened you piss yourself,” he snapped. He walked forward, all muscular menace. “I told you to stay put.”