Lone Wolf's Captive (novella) (7 page)

A delicious shiver took her by surprise and she grinned, remembering the wicked, tender, perfect night with Fletcher.

“Mmm, how did you learn to cook like that?” Without looking up, she dragged her finger through the sticky goodness left coating her plate and lifted it to her mouth to suck it clean. “Fletch?” She glanced up.

Oh my.

Okay, Fletch had left the building and instead, sitting across from her was the big bad wolf, and right then she felt like Little Red. Her mate’s long, ivory canines had extended past his bottom lip and his hungry gaze, that had been locked on her mouth, lifted, pinning her in place.

He growled.

“Um, Fletch…are you…?” She trailed off, not sure how to finish.

“I’m gonna give you a thirty second head start.” He spoke low, his voice blended with his wolf. She loved when he did that.

“Head start? For what?”

“When I say run, Laney, you’re gonna run.”

“Run,” she whispered. “But…”

A predatory grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “Then I’m coming after you.”

Her heart tripped then sped up. “But…hang on, what?”

“Run, Laney,” he ordered.

“Now? You want me to…”

He stood. “One…two…three…”

“Fletch.”

He reached down and undid his jeans then shucked them off, “Four…five…six.”

He didn’t take his gaze off her as he continued to count. Liquid heat rushed between her thighs. Okay, they were doing this. Scrambling back from the coffee table, she tore open the front of Fletch’s blue and black flannel shirt she’d pulled on earlier, the buttons pinging against the hardwood floor as they landed.

Adrenaline surged through her veins and with one last look at her mate, she shifted and ran out the door. Blood rushed through her ears, drowning out the sounds of the forest. The air was heavy, damp and its earthy scent coated her tongue. A short time later, Fletch’s distant howl let her know her time was up, and another rush of excitement shot through her belly. Lowering her head, she pushed harder, knew she had a decent head start.

When he howled again, he was closer. She shivered. Anticipation flooded through her, even as her instincts made her dig deep and run faster. The heavy pounding of his paws against the packed earth was the only warning she got before he took her down. As she hit the ground, she shifted beneath him, but he’d beaten her to it and hard, slick male flesh covered her, pressing her into the dirt.

Neither of them spoke, the only sounds her gasping pants and his low grunts as she squirmed in his arms. She wanted everything he had, wanted it bad, still she fought hard, made him work for it. A strong male like Fletch didn’t deserve anything less from his mate.

Large hands caught her wrists and pinned them above her head. His wolf’s eyes, golden and beautiful, captured hers and when he spoke his voice was beyond deep, all wolf, “You are mine, Delaney. Say it. Show me.”

She lifted up and nipped his jaw.

He squeezed her tighter. “Say it.”

This wasn’t about dominance. Submitting to your mate expressed the deepest form of love and unwavering trust that came from a bond like theirs. Fletcher needed that from her. Needed to know she trusted him to take care of her, to never leave her again.

She lifted her gaze, capturing his. “I belong to you, Fletcher.” She let her arms go limp beneath his hold. Still, when he released her wrists and those big rough hands slid down her body, stopping at her knees, she clamped them tight. Approval lit his golden gaze.

He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, and said against her mouth, “Open. Now.”

When he moved back, she watched him watch her and did as he ordered, letting her legs fall open. He groaned low, his hands moving back to her knees before he slid them up the insides, so his thumbs brushed the sensitive skin at the top of her thighs. Liquid rushed to her already wet sex under his heated stare and she moaned.

His nostrils flared and he looked up. “I’m going to eat that beautiful pussy then I’m going to flip you onto your belly and fuck you on your knees.”

Heart racing, she squirmed, desperate for him to ease the ache between her thighs.

“Hmm.” He drew one thick finger through the folds of her sex. “So wet for me, Laney.”

Her gaze travelled over his naked, sinewy, muscled body. His heavy cock jutted out from his body, straining and hard. She tried to reach for him, wanted him inside her, but he stopped her. Then with a growl, he was there, head buried between her thighs. She cried out, the soft packed earth and dried leaves cushioning her body.

Perfect.

He used his tongue and teeth on her until she whimpered and begged for him to take her over the edge, and when she didn’t think she could take another second, he slid two thick fingers inside her, pushing deep, pumping in and out of her body. Mindless, she reached down and fisted his hair holding him to her. Grunting, he pressed his firm lips to her clit and sucked, hard.

Laney flew to pieces, her cry sending startled birds into the sky, their angry cries ringing in her ears. She barely had time to recover before she was in motion, strong hands at her waist flipping her onto her knees.

He leaned over her, and the heat of his skin seared her back as he whispered into her ear, “So fucking beautiful.” Then he surged forward, filled her deep and started fucking her.

One strong forearm moved across her chest and he lifted her upright so her back pressed into the front of his body, like he’d promised. Fletch’s other hand skimmed her hip, moving to her damp folds to work her clit, bringing her to the edge again. He took her hard and deep, whispering rough, tender words against her ear.

Then they were both coming and the forest around her disappeared.

Fletch lowered her to the ground, his big body crouched over hers protectively. When her breathing returned to normal, she opened her eyes, and saw him draw in a deep breath. Then without a word, he released a howl so full of pleasure, she couldn’t stop her smile or the happy tears it brought to her eyes.

She had him back.

Hours later, Laney sat beside Fletch in bed. They’d spent the day running, playing, eating and making love.

But the truth about her father—what he’d done to Fletch, to both of them—sat cold and ugly in the pit of her stomach. It surrounded her like a dark shadow and the urgency to confront him over what he’d done gnawed at her. What had been going on in his head when he’d thrown the male she loved from their pack? How could he do that to her then face her the next day like he hadn’t just ripped her world apart?

“Open,” Fletch’s deep voice pulled her from her thoughts. She did as he asked, and opened her mouth for another spoonful of delicious ice-cream sundae.

“Why are you frowning?”

“Am I?” She reached out and walked her fingers down his bare abs.

He wrapped his thick fingers around her wrist, halting her progress and ignoring her attempt to distract him. “Don’t bullshit me, Laney.”

She blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m going to speak to my father tomorrow.”

“No.” He scooped another mouthful of dessert and brought it back to her mouth.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“Did the meaning change without anyone telling me?”

Her mouth dropped open, and he took advantage, slipping the spoon past her lips.

Bastard!

She swallowed her mouthful. “I warned you not to pull that alpha shit on me.”

He dropped the spoon back into the bow and sat up straighter, the sheet dipped low on his hips. “Are you gonna bite my ass now?” His lips tipped up.

“Fletch…”

The grin disappeared. “You’re my woman, my mate. You don’t do that shit on your own.”

“I know what kind of man my father is and I’ll never forgive him for what he did to us, but he wouldn’t physically hurt me. I need to have this out with him. He needs to answer for what he did to us. And he needs to know, and accept, that you’re coming back.”

Coming back?

He had no intention of going back, not the way Delaney wanted, and neither was she. Once he’d dealt with her father, she could visit her pack mates whenever she wanted, but with him, so he could protect her.

She sat there biting her lip, worry clear in her eyes, and waited for his response. What the hell could he say? He shook his head, reached out and smoothed his hand across her bare shoulder, moving his thumb over the soft skin of her throat. She shivered. Fuck, he loved her. “Laney…babe, I’m sorry, but…”

Her hand lifted and she curled her fingers around his wrist. “I wasn’t the only one devastated when you disappeared, Fletch.” She lifted his hand and threaded their fingers. “You still have friends there, people who’ve missed you, and would be so happy to have you home.”

Denying her anything rubbed his fur the wrong way. But dammit, moving back wasn’t something he would consider. No fucking way. What the hell was he going to do? Anthony would see him dead before allowing him to remain his daughter’s mate. There was too much money at stake, too much bad blood. He needed time to figure out a way to keep Laney safe before he could consider letting her go back.

He tugged her closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Her silky hair came forward and slid across his chest. It was his turn to shiver. “Give me a couple more days, yeah? I’m not ready to share you yet.” Not a lie, not by a fucking long shot.

“I go alone, Fletch. I need to do this on my own.” Her breath tickled his throat, and his cock twitched.

Laney didn’t like people telling her what to do, never had, and he didn’t like that he was the one doing the telling, but Anthony Jones certainly wouldn’t expect to see his daughter back on Black Hills land any time soon. Oakwood land? That was another story altogether.

Curling his fingers around the side of her neck, he gave her a light squeeze, and she lifted her head to meet his gaze. “Okay,” he lied. “But not till I’ve had you all to myself a little longer.”

Her body relaxed and she nodded, cuddling into his side again, accepting what he said. After a few minutes, her breathing slowed, evened out, and he knew she’d fallen asleep. He couldn’t help running a hand over her thick hair and down a bare arm, couldn’t stop touching her. He shook off the guilt weighing heavy in the center of his chest. Withholding the truth for the time being was for her own good, as well as his.

The female in his arms had consented to become his mate, and that meant a whole lot of things. Fucking good, amazing things. But what his headstrong, feisty mate needed to remember was that it was his job to keep her safe. She may not always like the way he went about it, but that was the way it had to be. Eventually she would understand why he did the shit he did.

Until then, he had to be careful. The truce between them was a fragile one and he couldn’t risk her going to Anthony alone. He just needed a couple of days to strengthen their new bond and then, though he knew it would hurt her, tell her the rest of her father’s part in all this.

The deadline Brody had given him to deliver Delaney ran out tomorrow morning. When he didn’t show with her in tow, the guy would know something was up and run to Anthony. It was a good thing Laney’s old man didn’t know who the Oakwood alpha used to do his dirty work. Anthony had underestimated him from day one. When Fletch wised up and learned to stay under Anthony’s radar, the old bastard all but forgot about him.

Laney snuggled closer, still asleep. He tightened his hold around her. The thought of what might have happened would torment him for the rest of his life. If Brody had hired anyone but Fletch, Laney would be the mate of the Oakwood alpha by now. A shudder travelled through his body. He would have forced her into an unwanted union. Her selfish bastard of a father had traded her like cattle, treated her like nothing but a pawn. In return Anthony got protection and a guarantee Laney would keep working, growing their bank balances while he sat back without the threat of a challenger for pack alpha.

Laney had built that business from the ground up for the good of her pack and Anthony couldn’t bear the thought of one day losing control over the purse strings. So he’d sold his daughter, plus a percentage of the profits.

Wrapped around her sleeping form, his hold unconsciously tightened as anger pumped through his veins. She squirmed and he quickly loosened his grip, smoothing gentle fingers over the silky skin of her hip. Sighing in her sleep, she relaxed and her breathing evened out.

Lifting himself up on an elbow, he brushed back the hair resting across her neck and shoulders. A shot of possessive hunger surged through his body. His mark stood out against her golden flesh, pale pink, but already healing. It would fade further over the next few days, but would never disappear completely. Bending down, he brushed his lips over the abused skin, inhaling her scent now mixed with his. Fuck, nothing had ever felt more right in his entire life.

Settling back down beside her, Fletch curled his body around her warmth and buried his nose in her hair, letting her scent soothe him. Calm him.

No one knew where his cabin was. She was safe here. Delaney was his and, despite what he’d said, she wasn’t going anywhere—not until he’d figured out the best way to reunite her with her pack and at the same time keep her safe from her asshole father.

***

Laney’s eyes snapped open, heart racing at a frantic pace, palms sticky. She blinked into the darkness, not sure why she’d woken. Then the dream came flooding back. The same dream that plagued her nearly every night since Fletch disappeared. She relived that day each night in her sleep, a Technicolor kind of hell, accompanied by a full kaleidoscope of dark and painful emotions.

Why the hell is this still happening?

The heat from Fletch’s body pressed against her. His reassuring weight, his scent, all helped to settle her nerves. She tightened her fingers around her mate’s wrist which was wrapped protectively around her waist. Fletch was back, the dreams should have stopped.

God, she needed them to stop.

That dreadful day was still so vivid in her mind. She had waited for him, but he hadn’t shown. In her gut she’d known something was terribly wrong. Had run to his quarters and discovered what little he’d owned was missing from his room. Still, she refused to believe he would leave her like that and searched for him. She’d run the surrounding woods until she collapsed with exhaustion.