The Protector's Heart (Wilde Creek Three) (16 page)

“Can it be undone?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “No. Mating is
like marriage for my people, more important than a piece of paper
from the government.”

“I just…it’s not that I don’t want to be
yours forever, I just wanted to make sure you’d be mine, too. You
won’t have any marks; how will anyone know that you’re mated?”

He relaxed. “I’ll smell like you, for one. It
would be hard for anyone to not realize a male is mated, because
they’ll scent his mate on him. If you want to bite me, you
can.”

“It won’t be like your marks though.” He had
explained that when he marked her, his fangs would be elongated and
would cut through her skin, leaving two permanent marks on the side
of her neck. She knew it would hurt, like getting poked with two
big needles, but she didn’t care. She wanted to belong to Malachi
in every way.

“No, but I don’t care. I want you to trust in
me, and if that means you want to bite me and mark me, I’m okay
with that. Whether I wear physical marks or not, when I bring you
before the pack on the full moon as my treasured mate, everyone
will know that I’m taken. I would never betray you, Nila. There
will never be anyone else for me but you, forever.”

She could have cried at the sweet words, but
she didn’t want him to think she was an emotional nutcase. Instead,
she leaned forward, placing her hands on the cool tile on either
side of his head, and kissed him.

His fingers slipped into her hair and he took
over the kiss, angling her head the way he wanted to deepen it.
Damn she loved him. He rocked her world in every possible way.

One of his hands slipped from her hair and
inched its way down her chest to brush his fingers against her
nipples. She wiggled on his lap as he tugged them lightly,
alternating from one to the other as his tongue swept possessively
into her mouth. His hand fisted in her hair and he gently pulled
her away from him, arching her neck and bending his head to suck on
her nipples. He plumped her breast and licked at the tip as she
wiggled further up his lap. Her hands left the tile and she gripped
his shoulders, arching her back and pushing her breasts into his
face. Grinning against her flesh, he nipped at her nipples, tugging
and teasing them in turn until she was writhing on top of him.

With a soft growl, he lifted from her and
kissed her hard. She moaned as his hand slipped down the front of
her body. He rubbed her clit lightly.

“Damn you’re wet, babe,” he groaned against
her lips.

Her hips canted as he stroked her clit with
the tip of his finger. “You do that to me.” She reached for him,
fisting his hair in her hands and kissing him. He teased her,
flicking her clit with quick strokes until her body shivered and
her pussy clenched. Need filled her like something wild and alive,
and she couldn’t think of anything better than his cock inside her
as he claimed her.

“Please,” she whispered as she lifted from
his mouth and gazed into his eyes.

His finger slipped to her entrance and he
stroked her lightly before lifting his finger to his mouth and
sucking off the silky evidence of her arousal. “You taste so
sweet.” His lips parted and she saw a hint of his fangs. She
shivered in response.

Gripping her hips, he lifted and pulled her
forward until she hovered over his cock. She reached for him with
one hand, grasping his thick length and holding him until the hot
head of his cock breached her. She gasped and he froze, holding her
in place. She shifted her hips, wiggling on him, and her knees
spread wider until she straddled him completely and then she sank
down on him slowly, feeling every inch of him as he filled her. His
hands gripped her hips tightly and she inhaled deeply and looked at
him.

He looked so sexy, teeth bared in
concentration, his fangs elongated slightly. The steam from the
water around them made his skin glisten. She leaned forward and
touched the edge of one fang with her finger. It seemed to get
bigger as she touched it, and his cock throbbed in her pussy.

She lifted her hips slightly, letting him
slide nearly free before she pressed herself back down onto him,
until the backs of her thighs were flush with his legs. He touched
her clit again, his thumb pressing against the bundle of nerves and
making her close her eyes in pleasure. She hooked her hand behind
his neck and leaned in to kiss him again as she began to lift
herself from him in a slow rhythm. His thumb stroked her clit and
she sucked on his tongue, her stomach twisting as heat flared
through her. Their bodies moved together as one, his hips lifting
as hers descended, the water splashing as they made love. His chest
vibrated as he growled, and his thumb began to work her clit
faster. Her pussy clenched his cock as he rubbed her just right.
Sparks lit her vision, and she lifted her mouth from his and
moaned.

She couldn’t move fast enough; the tidal wave
of pleasure that rose inside her was fueled by his firm touch on
her clit and the growls that rumbled in his chest. Her nails dug
into his chest as she came, her body quivering as heat rolled
through her and she shouted his name.

His thumb kept rubbing her clit, and his
other hand pressed into the small of her back as he moved her on
his cock. He latched his mouth onto the side of her neck and she
moaned loudly. She felt the heat of the bruise that would form as
he licked and nuzzled her neck and pushed her body to another
climax. The pressure on her clit increased, as the bud throbbed
under his attention. She wanted to tell him that it was too much,
but her body revolted at the idea of him stopping. He did things to
her body that no one had ever done before. She wanted everything
that he could give her.

“Oh, yes,” she moaned, closing her eyes and
letting herself go into the sensations. He sucked on her neck in
the same spot, his thumb driving her wild and his cock moving in
and out. She felt herself draw close to the edge, the pleasure
spiraling tightly inside, pushing her forward to another dizzying
height of bliss.

Her body jolted as pleasure flooded her. She
cried out his name as she came, and felt his fangs press into her
neck. She was so overwhelmed with her climax that she couldn’t even
muster a complaint as he pierced her with his fangs and marked her.
He growled and she felt his cock spasm deep inside. He extracted
his fangs and licked across the tender wound, then pulled her close
and leaned back. She was cradled against him as the pleasure slowly
ebbed.

Even the rapidly cooling water couldn’t make
her want to leave his arms right then. She’d just sleep right here,
with his cock still lodged in her pussy and her neck aching from
his mark.

She didn’t think she’d ever felt safer.

Chapter 12

After dropping off Jack, Nila, and Brynn
Tuesday morning, Malachi returned to Acksel’s house and trained for
the day. Sam and Zander were guarding the girls personally, and two
other wolves were stationed at the daycare. Malachi was a good
fighter. Not the best – that was Acksel – but not the worst by any
stretch. He had a feeling that Damien was a dirty fighter, though,
and he wanted to be as sharp as possible for the fight. He didn’t
expect to lose; there was too much at stake. Both Nila and Jack’s
life hung in the balance. He had no doubt that Damien would not be
kind if he got his hands on them again.

He ducked a punch from Ren and smashed his
fist into his chest, knocking the big male back a few paces. “Ah,
shit,” Ren grumbled, rubbing his chest.

Ren was the beta of the pack, Acksel’s
right-hand. Not only was he a great fighter, he was an honorable
guy. He wasn’t going to the fight tonight because he was staying in
Wilde Creek to keep an eye on the pack, but when he’d volunteered
to spar with Malachi, he’d been happy to take him up on it.

“You’re getting slow in your old age,”
Malachi taunted, bouncing on his feet a few times. His energy was
running high and his mind was racing. Nila was in danger until
Damien was put down. The fight tonight would change everything.

“I’m only a year older than you.” Ren cracked
his neck and snarled.

“Stop teasing each other like school girls
and fight, for fuck’s sake,” Acksel grumbled from where he stood on
the porch watching them. The air was cold but calm, no harsh wind
whipped at his skin. They’d abandoned jackets to make it easier to
move, and the shirts had come off a bit later as adrenaline and
sweat combined to make them uncomfortable.

“Would you fight dirty, you bastard?” Malachi
challenged. “I know they don’t fight fair up there, don’t pussyfoot
around.”

Ren growled angrily, his dark eyes flashing
to the amber of his wolf, and just as he tensed to strike, someone
barreled into Malachi from the side and he went down to the ground,
hard. His head swam and his vision blurred, but he could see the
fist swinging at his face and he threw up his arm and blocked it.
Acksel had tackled him. Malachi had been so intent on fighting with
Ren that he hadn’t been prepared for the sneak attack.

Acksel snarled, his teeth bared, as Malachi
fought to keep the alpha’s fist at bay. Ren stormed over to them
and lifted his booted foot in the air above Malachi’s groin, and
every instinct in him went haywire. No one threatened to hurt him
like
that
.

Kicking out, Malachi arched up and rolled,
throwing Acksel off and knocking Ren off his feet. Ren hit the
ground with a grunt. Malachi snarled as he stood and glared at Ren.
“Low blow, man. I
use
that.”

Ren chuckled as he got to his feet, dusting
the snow from his skin. Acksel rolled to his knees, and packed snow
into a ball and threw it at Malachi’s chest. It exploded in a burst
of white.

Acksel brushed off his jeans as he stood.
“You’re right about one thing. I don’t think that Damien’s pack is
above fighting dirty. I’m going to increase the guards at the house
here. Mia and Jack can stay here while we’re gone; I’ll have one of
the omegas help Brynn make up the spare bedroom for your family,
and Mia can crash on the couch. I don’t trust that pack not to try
something funny while we’re distracted.”

Malachi nodded.

Ren picked up his shirt and jacket. “You’re
ready. All I did was hint at screwing up your ability to have sex
with your mate and you went nuts. When you’re face to face with her
ex, I have no doubt that you and your wolf will protect her just
fine and beat that sorry fuck within an inch of his life.”

Malachi shook Ren’s hand. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

Ren walked away, and Malachi and Acksel stood
on the snow-packed ground watching him disappear around to the
front of the house where his car was parked. Acksel cleared his
throat and said, “If something happens to you tonight, I hope you
know that we won’t let Nila be hurt. I don’t care what the alpha
thinks is going to happen, but if by some small chance Damien beats
you, I won’t let her be taken against her will. She’s human, and
not bound by the mating laws.”

Malachi felt some of the tension leave him.
Not much, but some. “Thanks, Acksel.”

“Hey, our women are friends. Brynn wouldn’t
let me live it down if I let her friend be hurt. Besides, she
thinks of you as a brother, and that means we’re family as much as
we are pack members in my mind. Family sticks together.”

Malachi nodded. “I feel the same way.”

Grabbing his shirt and jacket from where
they’d landed in the snow when he tossed them aside during
training, he jogged around the corner of the house and headed to
his SUV. He glanced at the clock on the dash, surprised to see it
was after one. He’d head home, shower, change, and then pick up his
mate and son. They had to leave early so they could make it to
Dorlan by sunset.

In a few hours, he’d be facing off against
the male who had terrorized his mate. He would set her free and
then bring her back to their home, where they’d celebrate his win
with a tumble in the sheets. It sounded like an excellent way to
enjoy her first night of freedom.

* * * * *

Malachi held Nila close as he sat in the
second row of Sam’s SUV. Acksel was in the passenger seat while Sam
drove. In two more vehicles behind them, six more protectors and
Dade were traveling with them. Nila shivered, and he hugged her
closer.

“It’s going to be fine,” he whispered to
her.

She looked up at him and fisted his shirt. “I
don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

“It’s a given, sweetheart. But I’ll take
whatever he dishes out to make sure he leaves you alone.”

She blinked rapidly, and tears leaked from
the corners of her eyes. “You promise you’ll take me home with you
tonight?”

He brushed a tear away with his thumb. “I
swear.”

She swallowed audibly. “Tell me I’m yours,
Malachi.”

He smiled softly at her. “You’re mine, Nila.
And I’m yours, too.”

She shivered in his arms, and he kissed her.
He wasn’t going to tell her not to worry, because he didn’t think
she’d stop. He didn’t believe she was nervous because she didn’t
trust him, but nervous because she knew what weighed in the
balance. The fight tonight held her future and Jack’s in the
balance. Nothing had ever been as important.

Their small caravan arrived at the park just
before sunset. Acksel, Sam, and Dade walked ahead of Malachi and
Nila, the other protectors bringing up the rear. They walked to the
center of the park, where Damien’s pack was gathered. He’d been
worried about Nila and how she would feel when she came face to
face with her ex. If Isaiah hadn’t made it a condition of the
fight, Malachi would have made sure she stayed home, away from the
violence.

As they walked closer, he felt her begin to
grow tense. She shrugged off his arm and grasped his hand, linking
their fingers. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.
Malachi was proud of her.