Pack Secrets (7 page)

Grabbing her arm lightly, Justin steered Dee out of pack house and into one of the cars he used when he visited. “Well played, I can’t believe Blake agreed to keep him overnight.”

Feeling a light hand on his thigh he tensed, turning toward Dee. She wore a mysterious expression; part fear and the other part was desire. It was unfamiliar, yet intriguing. He asked, “Is everything okay, Dee?”

“We should have a nice long talk tonight. I understand you think we’re mates and I can’t disagree at this point. I don’t think you’ll like some of the things I have to say, but before we continue with anything, I’d like to clear the air.”

He took her hand in his after securing his seatbelt and hers. “I’m ready to talk if you are.”

Dee could feel herself shaking. She maintained contact with Justin, holding onto his thigh like it was a lifeline. Her past was an embarrassing part of her life, but he needed to know what he was getting into before they took this relationship to the next step. She could read the longing in his expression. In fact, she could remember him scouring the city and pack looking for the scent he’d picked up on Carter. His voice interrupted her inner musings.

“One thing that’s not negotiable.”

Her voice cracked, “Yeah?”

His nose wrinkled and he stopped at a red light, turning to look directly into her eyes. “You have to get rid of that awful perfume. Promise me.”

Allowing a small smile to cross her face she responded, “We’ll discuss it when we get home. I use it as a defense mechanism to keep people away.”

He growled in her direction causing her to shiver in response. “It’s quite effective. If you hadn’t worn it, I would’ve known you were my mate sooner.”

Pulling into her driveway, Justin put the car in park and felt her hand tighten on his thigh. It wasn’t painful, but he’d been steadily growing more aroused the more her scent filled the car, and with every bump of the car her hand had tightened a fraction. His hands remained gripping the steering wheel and he took a few breaths to calm his nerves. Instead of calming him, her scent called to him and it caused his lust to shoot through the roof. She’d be able to scent it and it caused him a bit of shame because he didn’t want to pressure her into a mating.

As he prepared to take control of the situation and lead them both into her house, her voice whispered across the car.

“We should talk here. That way if you don’t want to complete the mating it won’t be awkward. You can just drive away and we’ll forget all about this…hormonal imbalance.”

He couldn’t help but laugh outright. “I’m pretty sure being fated has something to do with hormones, but I wouldn’t call it an imbalance. I firmly believe that we’re meant to be together and nothing you can say will change that.”

Without skipping a beat she announced in a monotone. “Tidus is Carter’s father. Well, he was until he died.”

The car was silent after her announcement. What could he say? Carter had to be someone’s child, it obviously wasn’t his. Add that upon the fact that Carter displayed alpha tendencies and he should have put it together sooner. He honestly didn’t care. Well…he cared but not enough to shun her as his fated. He was silent, caught in his own thoughts, not realizing that with every second that passed she became more uncomfortable.

“Huh, I guess I don’t have to worry about whether you still have a relationship with the father. He’s dead. What’s the problem?”

She sputtered and he caught the distinct smell of irritation coming off of her. “What do you mean, what’s the problem? You know he was a bastard and evil. Not to mention, that he ruined so many lives trying to create his empire.”

“Okay, but he’s dead now.”

“Yes, he’s dead, but I have his child. I was stupid enough to think he was an honest man and he convinced me we were mates. I lived as his stupid ‘mate’ for a year before I realized who and what he was.”

“I don’t want you to think that I’m a jerk or anything, but he’s dead. He fooled a great many people before he betrayed this pack and took over as alpha. You’re right about him being pure evil; however, he can’t hurt anyone ever again. I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but did I point out he’s dead. As in, never coming back, buried in a hole so deep no one will ever be able to find him-dead. Not to mention he didn’t mark you. You were never true mates.”

He watched as her jaw dropped and she stared at him. “You don’t hate me?”

Reaching over to stroke a finger down her cheek he responded, hoping she could scent his honesty, “I’ll never hate you. Like I said, people make mistakes. He’s the one to blame for being dishonest and fooling you. I admire you for toughening up and taking care of your son. It couldn’t have been easy, knowing you carried his child as he destroyed a pack. A pack you belonged to and would raise your child in.”

“But I sent him away. I never told Tidus about him. I’m a horrible person.”

Smiling gently at her, he stated, “I think I just fell a little more in love with you. You knew Tidus wasn’t great father material and you protected your child. I admire you. Normally, I think a man has a right to know he has a child, but I don’t think Tidus should have known because he would have tortured you and Carter for the rest of your lives. He was just that kind of sick.”

Dee hadn’t heard anything he’d said after he told her he was falling in love with her. With her? No, that wasn’t possible. She was a stupid naive twit who allowed someone like Tidus to manipulate her. She’d had very limited contact with him after she found out she was with child.

It had been the same day she’d found out who he really was. She had hidden out in his office to surprise him, the office he never allowed anyone in. She found out why. Hiding in the closet, she heard him talk about his forced takeover of this pack and how he’d killed the previous alpha outside of a fair challenge. He spoke about mating a female of every shifter species so he’d have an army of shifter children to mentor.

As she listened, her blood ran cold. Even as he spoke about her and his fake courting of her and how easy she’d been duped, Dee hadn’t moved. She’d been frozen in place by shock and quite a bit of loathing; add in a healthy dose of shame for believing someone so insane and unstable. Instead of popping out of his closet to share in the joy of what they created, she waited. When he finally left that night she went to her flower shop immediately and masked her scent. She never went anywhere without her trusty overbearing perfume.

For months she wore that perfume, keeping her secret from Tidus. He hated the scent and couldn’t bring himself to touch her while she wore it. That benefit almost made up for the beatings he gave her for her refusal to stop wearing it.

Every day she grew a little stronger and far more bitter at her stupidity. One morning, Tidus came to her door before she put on her perfume and kicked it down in anger. Her scent permeated the house, but she hoped it was covered up enough by the lingering perfume so that he wouldn’t notice her underlying pregnancy. Tired of dealing with him, she attempted to take his life and was only successful at angering him more. She smiled, thinking of how she stabbed him in the shoulder with a kitchen knife: she had been aiming for his neck. After that, he tended to keep clear of her. He liked a woman to fight but knew enough to stay away from alpha bitches.

She delivered her son alone and immediately sent him to live with her parents. It was the only thing she could think of. If she’d fled with him, Tidus would have sent someone after her. Her parents were none too happy about raising an alpha wolf, especially since they were both lynx. They belonged to a small pack of cats and poor Carter was banned from shifting because he’d been so much stronger than the cats and they feared him. Carter would have been at risk wherever he was, if he was associated with her, so she had to keep her distance. She went to visit him only once during those years and it turned out to be a disaster.

It was a blessing when alpha Blake came to take over. He’d known as soon as she’d completed the blood bond with him, about her situation. He made it known that he’d bring her son back to her so he could ‘be properly raised with his mama and a pack of wolves.’

Justin watched her as a wealth of emotions crossed her face and her scent changed a million times over; fear, hatred, happiness, doubt, love. He knew she was thinking back to the past and all of these feelings were old. He’d let her have her time because very shortly he’d want her to focus only on him and the possibility of their future.

After a few minutes, Dee shook herself from the past and peered over at him with longing. The walls around her heart began to erode, leaving him space to enter and leave his mark. “Do you believe me?”

She nodded once.

“I want you to know deep down to your very core that I don’t blame you or think badly of you. You’ve protected yourself and your son for years. In fact, I’m proud of you and I’d be honored if you chose me as your mate.”

There was a definite glistening in her eyes followed by a salty scent in the car. He never wanted to see her cry or smell her tears. Dee was a fighter, a mother, a survivor, and his mate. He wiped away a lone tear that spilled over onto her cheek. Then he turned, shot out of the car, and had her up and in his arms in seconds. “Where are your keys? I want to be clear on something before we cross the threshold of your house. If we go in there, we’re mating. I won’t hold back my wolf any longer.”

Jumping out of his arms, she pushed him away before going to her hands and knees in the dirt by her front door. She seemed to be digging for something. He couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her exposed backside. As she knelt on the ground, the shirt she wore rode up, exposing the backs of her thighs. If he crouched down he was sure he’d be able to see her exposed sex.

“Ah ha! Here it is.”

Taking his arm in a death grip, she led him to the door and fumbled with the key in the lock. He took her hands gently, removing the key from her dirty fingers and inserting it into the lock with steady hands. “Dee, are you sure you understand?”

“It’s been a while, but judging by the arousal I smell coming from you mixing with the arousal coming from me, I’d say we want the same thing.”

His hand was still on the door he refused to open it until he knew she understood. “Dee, I can’t keep my wolf waiting anymore. I’ll mate you if we go in here, I won’t be able to stop him.”

She purred, “I’m counting on it, stud.” She ran her hand down his chest, “I’ll want it all though; the sex, the bite, the cuddles. Don’t think you can do this half way, Mr. Nunn.”

Somewhat thrown for a loop at her sudden change in thinking, he asked, “Don’t you want to know about me? What kind of man I am.”

Sobering for a second she admitted. “I know everything there is to know about you, Justin. While you were out after healing Carter, I asked everyone who knew you to tell me about you. Your mom was the best though. A little scary at first, but she has some amazing stories. I know your favorite food is homemade macaroni and cheese; I was shocked it wasn’t some kind of meat though with you being a wolf and all. Your favorite color is green. You’ve never been mated, have no children, no serious relationships, you are smart as a whip and you’re a healer. I listened to everything everyone ever said about you. Although I’d like to think that little incident with the snake was a lie, I know it wasn’t. You are the type of man to heal a snake after it bit you because, according to your mother, ‘it was just following his instincts mama just like I was when I mushed him, now I gotta make him better and the doctor will fix me right up, k?’ You inspire me to be a better person. Knowing that you don’t judge me by my past and kept trying to be there for me and Carter, even after I was a wench, makes me like you a whole lot more. Now, let’s stop dancing around each other.”

Taking in what she’d just said he was a little stunned and a whole lot turned on. It took him all of two seconds to have the door opened, slammed closed, and her pressed up against it. He fused his lips to hers and reveled in the moan that escaped her. They stayed glued together for a few minutes, playing tug of war with their mouths. He couldn’t take it anymore when she began to suck on his tongue. Without much effort he lifted her into his arms and groaned as the wet heat of her pussy met his bare stomach.

“Wow, just wow, I didn’t think it could be this hot. You’re kinda mellow and I thought-“

“I’m an alpha, Dee, despite how I act, outside of this house. In our room, I’ll always make it good for you, for us.” He lowered his head and took one of her pink nipples into his mouth, sucking it and allowing it to pop free of his mouth, even more puckered. He blew against her budded nipple and smiled as it became more taut and her breath caught. He gave it a soothing lick and enjoyed hearing her breathing increase as she gripped his hair.

“Bedroom-“

“Not yet.” He had her up against the door panting and so close she was grinding against his abdomen. He could feel her juices sliding down his body and wetting his pants. His left arm cradling her bottom, he reached up with his other hand to run his hand over her cheek. He put her face to his and kissed her deeply before sliding his hand into her hair and tugging her head back. “You are mine, Dee Marie Malone. Say it.”

She swallowed before answering. “I’m yours, Justin. Make me yours.”

Still grinding her sex on his lower body, her head fell back as she moaned, releasing more of her nectar. His little mate was a firecracker, so close to finding her release. “Do you want me now?”

“Yes.”

“Like this? Do you want me to take you against the door?”

“You can take me wherever and however you want, but please hurry. I’m so close, please, Justin.”

Growling at her need, his beast was roared to the surface. He pulled her away from the door, and following her scent, carried her to room. With every step he took, he could feel her swollen sex contracting against his abdomen. He hardened like a steel pipe in his jeans until he felt like they might burst. In fact, he wished they would, then he could slip into her tight channel. “You are so beautiful, Dee. I’ve never wanted anything more than I want you right now.”

He lowered her to the bed, “You look great in my shirt but I want you to take it off, slowly.”

Lifting her bottom because she’d been sitting on the hem, he saw every blessed inch of her sex. He loved that she’d left her womanhood all natural. He’d also love to see it shaved or waxed, but being here in this moment with her he knew she wasn’t trying to impress him. The lips of her sex were swollen and wet, her pleasure bud an almost angry pink and puffy too, revealing how ready she was. He enjoyed the fact that she so readily obeyed him by dragging his shirt off slowly, allowing him a view of the gentle slopes of her breasts at all angles. His manhood tightened and he knew if he didn’t remove his jeans soon they wouldn’t be able to come off until his cock shrunk or he’d risk an injury.

When she flung his shirt at him, exposing her body, he knew it was time to finish this. He popped the button on his jeans and lowered his zipper carefully, peeling it away from his weeping cock head. He removed his jeans quickly and fisted his shaft at the base. He ran his hand up and down his length once and gave a squeeze when he came to the base. Presenting himself to his mate, he was excited when she licked her lips in approval. He rubbed the tip of his moist member with his thumb, spreading the pre-come onto his finger. He lifted his thumb to her lips and without prompting she took his entire thumb into her mouth and sucked him clean, moaning the whole time. Little Justin bobbed and wiggled for her attention.