Savage (8 page)

“Something funny, love?” Alric stood there with one eyebrow raised. Sam had his hands on his hips and scowled at her, but she didn’t miss how his lips twitched in suppressed amusement.

“No… Yes.” She wiped the remaining tears away and stood. Dalia moved into the kitchen and stopped a few feet from them. She raised a brow and a smile curved her lips. “It’s just funny to see the two of you cooking in the kitchen.”

They looked at each other again. “And why is that, baby girl?” Sam smiled at her but still kept his hands on his hips, further enhancing the ridiculous appearance of his damn apron.

“Well, for starters, you wearing that apron is funny as hell.” Sam stared at the apron then back at her. “And Alric has sauce on his chin.” She reached out and wiped the sauce off with her finger. She brought it to her mouth and sucked it off. The flavour was heady. “Mmm, tastes good.” She ran her digit down Sam’s chest as if emphasising how funny his attire actually was. When she stared into both of their faces she no longer saw the hint of humour reflected back. Now they both held heated expressions that had nothing to do with dinner or the topic they were just discussing. Their expressions were those of carnal hunger.

“Oh, no. You two are insatiable and I’m starving.” She was partly teasing. Yes, she was starving, but it wasn’t only for food.

“We are only insatiable for you, baby.” Sam wagged his eyebrows at her and she grabbed a dishrag and tossed it at him. He caught it easily, his grin infectious.

Alric walked around the counter and wrapped her in a tight embrace. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and she heard him inhale. Sam moved behind her, lifted her hair, and kissed her nape. Being sandwiched between them had her feeling wholly feminine and instantly aroused.

“Don’t worry, love.” Alric’s warm breath tickled her flesh and she shivered in their arms. She could feel both of their erections pressing against her belly and lower back. “We will make sure to feed our mate before we ravish her.”

“Suddenly I’m not hungry for spaghetti.” Her statement was a breathy moan. She heard them chuckle and felt the vibrations throughout her whole body. They may have not known each other for very long, but whatever connected them was strong and undeniable. How could she question something that felt so right?

“As much as we’d like to skip dinner and go straight to dessert, you need to eat.” They both placed a hand on her belly. It was still surreal that she had stumbled upon their doorstep. How would other wolves react to their mate being filled with another’s young? She asked herself that question over and over again, wondering if one day they would realise what a mistake and burden she really was.

Something loud and heavy slammed against the front door and instantly she felt Alric and Sam tense. They placed their bodies in front of hers. The temperature in the air dropped ten degrees. She knew it wasn’t Clay. She would have been able to sense him the moment he was near. But whatever was on the other side of that wood was dangerous enough that Alric and Sam felt the need to shield her. Maybe they were just being cautious? Deep down she knew that was just wishful thinking.

Chapter Eleven

Alric moved towards the door while Sam stayed with Dalia. He kept his body in front of her, one of his arms behind him so he gripped her waist. She held onto him, her heart pounding as she watched Alric move closer and closer towards the door. This was the day she’d feared, the day she had been dreading. Was it a Clay follower? Sam sensed her unease and gripped her tighter. She wanted to bury her face in his back, wish away all the horrible things that could be on the other side of the door, but she couldn’t force herself to do that.

Before he opened the door Alric stopped and looked at them. Silent communication passed between them. He turned, gripped the handle and opened it. The blast of snow and wind that entered the house took her breath away. A figure cloaked in black stood on the other side, his head bent low and a hood covering his face. His arm was propped in the frame, seeming to hold him up. A second passed then the stranger lifted his head and stared at Alric and Sam then her. He held their gazes for so long she found herself glancing away. She had never seen him before, but there was something haunting about the way he stared at her. Sam and Alric must have sensed it too because Alric stepped in front of her and Sam pushed her behind his broad back.

“Please, I ask for refuge from the storm.” His voice was deep and sent a chill down her spine. She turned her head, burying it in the fabric of Sam’s shirt, and heard the door shut. The room immediately warmed, but the tension and silence were deafening.

“Who are you and how did you find this place?” Alric’s voice was deep and accusing. Their cabin was high in the mountains and she had found it purely by chance. Could that be the same for this stranger? The chances were slim, especially in such a short time frame.

“I’m sorry to intrude, but I was hunting while the storm was on hiatus. It caught me off guard. I had been hiking for an hour before I finally saw the lights from your cabin.” Dalia looked around Sam’s shoulder, feeling the hair on the back of her neck still on end.

“I ask for a short reprieve in your home if you allow it. Just until the storm eases up again.” He pushed his hood down. His hair was dark and fell to his shoulders. A jagged scar ran from his eyebrow to his chin. He was a wolf, that much was clear by the smell of him, but there was an underlying odour that marked him as hiding something.

Alric glanced over at them and Sam’s grip tightened on her for a moment before he turned around and started leading her towards the back bedroom. When the door of the room the three of them shared was shut, Sam turned and looked at her.

“We want you to stay in here until that wolf leaves. Just to be on the safe side.” Sam ran a hand over his short hair and sighed. “The storm should let up shortly and then he’s out. Until then Alric and I would feel more comfortable if you weren’t around him since he is unknown to us.”

That was fine with her. The stink that told her he was a wolf had been strong. He didn’t smell intoxicating like Alric and Sam did. “I didn’t like the feeling he gave me anyway.”

“I know, baby. We felt there was something off about him, but the storm is fierce right now and sending him out there would mean his death. So far he hasn’t given us any indication that he is here to harm us, but be assured we are on high alert.”

She knew there were packs that were caring and compassionate towards others. Her pack and Clay’s were not of that kind. She’d known right from the moment she had met Alric and Sam that they were part of those rare packs that didn’t only care about themselves. The sound of Alric’s deep voice penetrated the walls, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Suddenly she was exhausted.

“I’ll bring you in some dinner and then run you a bath. I know how tired you are.” She smiled, grateful that she had both of them in her life.

Sam left and she sat on the bed. She placed a hand on her belly and whispered, “It’s okay, little one. I’m going to make sure everything is okay for you.” Dalia smelt of both Sam and Alric. It was a comforting aroma that had her smiling. The room they shared was large, with dark wood and masculine colours. The bed was big and easily fitted the three of them, especially when there were bouts of late night sex. Even thinking about them had her aroused. It was a constant ache inside her that would not be sated.

The door opened and Alric walked in. “Sam and I are taking turns staying out there with him.” He held a tray with a plate of spaghetti and garlic bread on it, a glass of milk, a small side salad and a piece of chocolate cake. He set it on the dresser and sat down beside her.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d think you guys are trying to fatten me up.”

Alric took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth.

“You need to keep a healthy weight, especially for the baby.”

Her eyes dropped to her belly and she covered it with her free hand again. “Alric,” she said as she looked up at him. “How do you feel about me carrying another male’s child?” She really hadn’t meant to ask the question, but as of late that was all she had thought about. He held her gaze, not saying anything for so long that she started to grow uneasy with what his answer was going to be.

“Dalia,” he glanced down then lifted his eyes back to her. “I won’t lie and say Sam and I are pleased that you carry another wolf’s young.”

Her heart plummeted to the ground and she fought back her tears.

“Oh, no, sweetheart. Please, you misunderstand what I’m saying.” He brushed a tear away that she hadn’t realised had slipped free. “The fact that a bastard raped you and the child growing inside you is the result infuriates us.”

His words stunned her and she was speechless. “You barely know me but you love me and my baby.”

The sigh that came from him seemed loud in the room. “You’re ours, Dalia. When a Luecross finds their mate it is an instantaneous thing. Our animal knows that it has found its mate and the emotions come on hard and strong. There is no denying that we love you, because you are ours and our wolves know there is no other.” His thumb ran small circles around her hand as he continued. “When I realised Sam was my mate I loved him right from the beginning. There was no other for me after that. As soon as we saw you we knew you were ours. I won’t say this isn’t happening fast—it is—but when you find something that you know without a doubt is meant to be yours forever, the rest just falls into place.”

The sincerity of his words cut right into her heart. She felt an undeniable connection with the two of them, but was it love? She had never known the emotion and didn’t know if what she was feeling was that. Just the thought of them not with her left a hole in her heart. Did love cause that kind of pain?

“It’s okay, Dalia. We aren’t going anywhere. What we have is something that doesn’t happen every day. Sammy and I have an infinite amount of patience and know that when you are ready you will feel just as strongly as we do for you.” He kissed her hand again and stood. “You need to eat before the food gets cold, though.” He smiled—all straight white teeth and compassion.

She felt his gaze on her. Alric watched her, his expression soft. “Aren’t you going to eat too?” She asked.

“Once I know you’ve had your fill I will. There is plenty so don’t worry.” He brushed her cheek with his thumb and she felt her cheeks heat. Since first meeting them Dalia had felt like Alric was the more aggressive male of the two. Whereas Sam seemed to be more compassionate and in tune with his gentler side, Alric’s alpha male roared through from the very beginning. But right now he seemed so soft towards her, so attentive to her needs. Would she ever get used to being treated like this?

Chapter Twelve

Something had woken Dalia up, but as she lay in the dark she couldn’t hear anything. The feeling of dread crept inside her until she felt on the verge of a full-blown panic attack. She reached out, searching for Sam. After dinner Alric had switched places with him. They had lain on the bed together, his big arms wrapped around her. One of them was always with her and she hadn’t seen the wolf again, who had said his name was Jackson Holler of the Holler pack. They hadn’t heard of his pack before, but that didn’t mean anything. There were so many shifter packs in Colorado and the surrounding states that keeping up with all of them was impossible.

Sam had talked her into taking a bath after a while, and she could still smell the rose-scented bubble bath he had poured into the tub for her. After that he had curled his body around hers and she had fallen sleep. That had been earlier and now she was alone in bed. His spot was cold and she wondered what was going on since neither of them had left her alone.

Dalia slipped from the bed then grabbed a robe and donned it. She listened again, wondering what had woken her but still heard nothing. A sense of dread and foreboding washed through her. She knew that feeling all too well, but no, she couldn’t let it consume her when she knew Sam and Alric would keep her safe. The only sound that penetrated the darkness was the sound of her beating heart as it pounded through her ears. Something wasn’t right. She didn’t need to have her acute shifter senses to know that. She made her way towards the door and opened it as quietly as possible. The first thing she noticed was the frigid temperature in the living room. It pierced through her robe. She gripped the lapels together and peered around the door. The front door was open. It was clear the storm had tapered off some because only a light sprinkling of snow blew in through the opening.

The firelight cast shadows throughout the room. Trying to be quiet, she rounded the corner and stopped. Someone sat in front of the fire and a tingle raced up her spine. The light cast shadows, but she didn’t need to see him to know who it was. As if he sensed her presence he stood and turned around.

The expression on Clay’s face was one of concealed amusement, but then he glanced up and down her body and that look was replaced with raw fury.

“I see you wasted no time being another wolf’s whore. Or should I say
two
wolves’.” The sound of his voice was like a bullet to her heart. Fear instantly slammed into her and she shook. Where were Alric and Sam? Were they okay? A wicked breeze blew through the doorway and she shook harder. She looked around the room frantically, praying to the heavens that Clay and his followers hadn’t hurt them. The room had been destroyed. There were several pieces of furniture knocked over, pictures askew on the wall, and broken glass on the floor. How the hell hadn’t she heard any of this? Dalia searched her surroundings frantically again.

“Oh, come on, you sweet little thing, you know better than that. I wouldn’t outright kill them.” He took a step towards her and she wanted to flee, but fear rooted her to the spot. “I want them to watch what I’m going to do to you. It’s been a long time coming, Dalia, especially since you thought you could run from me and take my heir.” He took another step and another and another until he was right before her. She covered her belly protectively and swallowed. Tears spilt from her eyes as she stared at the cold, hard expression on Clay’s face.