Seeking Pack Redemption (18 page)

“The men
are okay with sharing?”

“We’re
raised with the knowledge so most of us deal with it well enough.”

“And
because I get that electroshock thing and stuff with Darren, you think he’s
supposed to be my fated mate, too, or something?”

“Yes. And
possibly Marc, too.”

The
concept stunned her—aroused her. “It doesn’t bother you?”

“I’ll
admit a part of me is jealous. No man finds it easy to share his female, but
then again, the pleasure that can be found in a group . . .” He smiled
suggestively, and she blushed.

“At the
same time?” she squeaked. “Oh, I don’t think so.”

“It’s not
necessary. Many groupings choose to keep things one-on-one, but there are
others who prefer to tread that racier edge.”

She buried
her face against his chest, her heart racing as she couldn’t help picturing
what it would be like to have another man in bed with her and Trent. More than
one set of hands touching.
Numerous mouths sucking.
The decadence of it brought her arousal flaring back, and she found herself
rubbing her cheek against his chest, cursing the fabric that separated them.

“What are
you doing? Didn’t you hear what I said?”

“I did,”
she murmured as she tugged at his shirt, pulling it up so she could touch him. She
darted out her tongue and licked his smooth flesh.

“
Thea
,” he growled.

“I thought
I was going to die. I never thought I’d see sunshine or another sane person
again. I never thought I’d
feel
again. For all I know, Roderick could find us and kill us all.”

“He
won’t!”

“Anything
could happen, and I am not going to take a chance on missing out. So what if I
don’t get this whole werewolf and mated thing? So what if it’s forever? I’ll
take the chance you snore and leave your socks on the floor. Life is too
precious to waste it wondering if it’s the right thing.” She kissed her way up
to his jaw, and he sighed.

“Are you
sure? This shouldn’t be taken—”

She
swallowed the rest of his words. Logic had no place here, not right now,
probably not ever. Things had changed. The world she knew no longer existed,
and she meant what she said. She could die tomorrow. Or he could. Right now,
this
moment,
was theirs, if they chose to take it. And,
dammit, she burned for his touch.

Thankfully,
he chose not to fight any longer, and with a groan of surrender, kissed her
back. Even better, he rolled her onto her back, his heavy body atop
hers,
his groin nestled between her legs, pressing against
her. She gasped into his mouth as he ground himself against her, rubbing
against the source of her arousal. She clutched his shoulders with digging
fingers, arching her hips into his thrusts, the fabric separating them acting
as a sensual enhancer.

The kiss
ended so he could trail fiery kisses down her neck, nipping at her skin,
drawing
forth tiny
cries. His hot mouth captured the
peak of a breast through her shirt, sucking at her nipple, the pleasure of it
sending jolts to her sex, which clenched in reply. His hand slid between their
bodies, making its way under the waistband and dragging through her curls. He
touched her, and he caught her cry with his mouth. Kissed her passionately
while his finger rubbed against her clit, spiraling her pleasure, higher and
higher.

“Yes!” she
keened. She screamed into his mouth as she came, tremors of her pleasure
shaking her body. And still she wanted him. Wanted him inside her. With frantic
hands, she pushed at his pants, but he caught them and forced her to look him
in the eyes.

“Are you
sure? Last chance to say
no
.”

And he
thought he wasn’t a nice guy.
 
It
seemed he didn’t know himself. “I need you. Please.”

He
answered her with another torrid kiss, his hands helping her to yank down his
pants. His cock sprang from its confinement, hot and hard. She clasped it and
stroked. Chuckled wantonly at his hiss of pleasure.

“If you
keep doing that, I won’t make it inside you.”

“We can’t
have that.” She released him, and his body nestled between her legs, the head
of his shaft unerringly finding the entrance to her sex. He teased her, though,
inching only a piece in, enough to make her mewl and squirm.

It was his
turn to
chuckle,
a masculine sound that sent shivers
through her heated body. “What’s wrong, beautiful? Need something?”

“You’re a
tease.”

He
retreated and rubbed the head of his cock against her clit. “Yeah. What are you
going to do about it?”

She nipped
his chin. He growled. She moved to his neck, licking and nibbling until he
thrust into her. Oh, sweet heavens. Her teeth clamped down harder on the skin
of his neck as he
pistoned
her, and as she continued
to bite, a little voice in her head urging her to press down harder, his own
mouth opened over the skin of her shoulder. He caught her in an identical grip,
the sharp pain of his bite making all her muscles tighten and when clamped down
harder, she squeezed her teeth tightly as she came.

The orgasm
hit her harder than the first, slamming into her body and leaving her
shuddering as his body continued to pump into hers. She only had a moment to
realize she’d drawn blood, the metallic taste on her tongue, when he came and
another climax rocked her, leaving her mouth open wide on his skin in a silent
scream that if audible would have surely shattered glass. More of his blood
seeped into her mouth, and she inadvertently swallowed.

A jolt
went through her, a moment of hyper-awareness where she felt emotions, not only
hers, but . . . his.
His deep satisfaction.
His need for her.
His fear, also for her.
For a moment in time, they shared one mind, one body,
one
soul. It was glorious.

Muscles
limp, body sated, and for some reason, ridiculously happy—
probably because I came three times
—she
snuggled into him when he rolled to his side, still holding her. Cocooned in
his arms and with the edges of his emotions tickling hers, she fell asleep, and
the nightmare stayed away.

*
* * *

Marc
listened through the crack in the door. He couldn’t help himself. A part of him
was jealous and, yes, a little mad that Trent was moving in on
Thea
so quickly, especially after his bullshit of “I need
to watch her ’cause I’m family.’” But, honestly, if anyone had a right to first
claim on David’s widow, then it was Trent. The guy would never say it aloud,
but despite not having a hand in it, he’d blame himself for what happened. Marc
expected he would have fought his attraction to
Thea
longer, though, but then again, who could have resisted her soft and aroused
please
. Hell, Marc almost went in there
on his knees to beg a turn.

Probably
not a good idea given they didn’t know yet how she felt about having a mate let
alone more than one. Although Trent bit the bullet and came clean with her,
telling her how it worked in the pack. Even better, she didn’t freak and say no
way. They should be so lucky. But after that part of the conversation it proved
hard to remain a silent watcher, and he moved away, trying to distract
himself
only to find himself back at the door again minutes
later. And they were done talking.

That lucky
bastard Trent was doing something that drew the most delicious cries from her. Marc
peeked through the open crack, not seeing much other than
Thea’s
legs wrapped around Trent’s flanks, eagerly inviting him into her body. Fuck,
how he wanted to join in, catch her cries with his lips, stroke her nub as
Trent fucked her, making her even more wild. He abstained, knowing it was too
soon. But it didn’t stop him from getting horny. He would have stroked himself
if he
wasn’t
so aware of
Jaxon
sharing the room behind him. Forget Darren. They’d tag-teamed girls before, and
while they didn’t touch each other, pretty much everything else was fly.

“Did he
mark her?” The whispered query came from Darren who’d risen from the bed to stand
watch at the window.

Marc
turned to face him. He nodded his head.

“Damn.
That was quick and probably for the best. This will create a bond between them
that will help them both heal from David’s betrayal.”

How mature
of Darren to note that. It did nothing for Marc’s raging erection, though.

“Think
he’ll want to share?” Marc asked in a low voice as he joined his pack brother
at his post.

“Law says
he has to if she agrees.”

“True.
Think she will?”

Darren
shrugged.

“I hope
so.” Doubt. A new emotion for Marc and one he didn’t quite know how to banish. “And
if she’s not sure, we’ll have to show her the benefits.”

“Naked, I
assume?”

Marc
chuckled. “Is there any other way?”

“Have I
mentioned I like how your mind works?”

“Have I
mentioned a need for sleep?”
Jaxon
growled, interrupting
them. “Plan your gangbang when we’re awake and I’m not around. Some of us don’t
exactly have the privilege of being with our mate.”

“Sorry.”
Marc apologized and wondered how
Jaxon
survived the
separation. He’d heard of some mated pairs going a little crazy when they were
apart too long. It was also why
matings
with more
than one male were encouraged because it meant one could always keep the female
company if the other had to leave for any length of time for work or other
matters. Depression was something they had to watch for otherwise. He wondered
if the fact
Jaxon
only exchanged bites with Bailey
and not sex allowed him to cope.
That or
he’s got a wicked grip on his hand by now.

Poor guy.
Of them all, he probably wanted vengeance against the vampire the most. He’d
lost everything. Pack. Friends. His mate. At least Marc had his brothers of the
fur and a woman he’d do his best to claim.
I
don’t know if I could survive alone.
Hopefully, he’d never find out.

As she
woke the next morning,
Thea
waited for the shame to
hit her.
I slept with a guy I barely
know.
A guy she already felt closer to than the man who fathered her child.
A man who gave her honesty and a choice.
A wolf
who
marked her and, according to his words, made her his
mate.
His forever.

A sane
person would have wondered if she’d dreamed it all, imagined the strange
conversation and climatic sex. Who could refute it though with the evidence
blatant in the way she was splayed across half of his naked chest, her head
nestled on him, using him like a pillow, his arms wrapped snugly around her. It
stirred her desire to life, which surprised her. Mornings weren’t her forte.

Listening
to his heart, which beat steadily, she again focused on her feelings. Did she
feel shame at what she’d done?
Oddly, no.
Would he?
Totally different question.
According to his speech in the
middle of the night, they were now irrevocably tied. Would he still feel that
way in the light of day? A part of her wanted to wake him up and find out. But
first she needed to take care of business. How could she escape to brush her
teeth, take care of a full bladder, and run a comb through her hair without
waking him and introducing him to her not-so-pretty morning self?

“I know
you’re awake.” His chest rumbled under her cheek as he spoke.

“How?”

“Your
breathing pattern changed.”

“Oh. Have
you been awake long?”

“A while.”

“Sorry. I
know I have a tendency to crowd the bed. David used to get so mad.” She wanted
to slap herself as soon as the words left her mouth.

“Well, I
happen to like it. It makes it easier to do this.” He slid her fully on top,
and she gasped as the hard nudge of his cock let her know just how much he did
like it.

She pushed
herself to a sitting position, letting his cock bob up behind her ass cheeks,
and peered down at him. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Said
what?
The thing about David?
Don’t worry about it. I
told you, the pack does relationships a little differently. So I’m not going to
fly into a jealous rage if that’s what you’re afraid of. And I don’t expect you
to forget him.”

“Even if a
part of me wants to?”

A heavy
sigh left him. “I can’t really blame you for that. But, despite his weakness,
before David met Roderick, he wasn’t a bad guy.”

“I know.
And in time, I might manage to forgive and forget what he became. I guess I’ll
have to for the baby.” She rested her hand on her stomach, and he covered it
with his, the warm press of his calloused palm making her tummy flutter.