She turned off the water before bracing both hands on the sink. She gazed out of the kitchen window, which was opened slightly. A small breeze floating through brought with it the aroma of fresh grass and Packed dirt. The whiff calmed her so she could pay attention to the Guardians and shifters in the room. Her gaze landed on Alex after she’d turned around. He’d just poured water into the large coffee machine but was watching her. She smiled before stepping closer. Brushing her hand down his arm, she hoped to tell him that she was indeed fine.
When his gaze dropped to her lips she knew he wanted to lean down and kiss her. They weren’t alone, though. Winking as a promise for later, she strolled away from her mate.
Alpha Shawn and Remy were speaking quietly, but Caspar’s intense stare was right on her. She dipped her head with respect before sitting beside him.
“You need to feed,” he whispered with his mouth right next to her ear.
Before she could respond, a low growl filled the room. She jerked away from Caspar as Alex stalked forward, eyes on her boss.
“Alex.” Shawn stood blocking his way.
Angel jumped up from her seat and rushed forward but she couldn’t reach her mate since Shawn’s huge body was between them.
The rumble was still coming from Alex. Shawn responded with a low snarl while gripping Alex’s shoulders. Angel squeaked in protest but Remy, out of nowhere, put himself between her and the other two shifters.
“Let his Alpha handle this,” Remy said softly.
She wanted to protest, but Caspar’s grip on the back of her neck had her submitting. She watched as Shawn pushed Alex down, the Alpha taking Alex all the way down to the floor. Shawn was crouched in front of Alex murmuring to him.
With adrenaline spiking through her body, it took several minutes before she could make out what Shawn was saying to Alex. She raised her shaking hands to grip the front of Remy’s shirt. She wanted to comfort her mate but instead didn’t know how to help.
Chapter Five
The wolf had been so close to the surface that Alex wasn’t surprised to find himself on the kitchen floor with his Alpha looming over him.
It had started during the interrogation. Each time Emilio had taunted Kieran with how he’d killed shifters, he’d wanted to step in and pound the evil man himself. Even though he wasn’t the most dominant wolf in the Pack, he still couldn’t stomach the fact that his fellow shifters had been tortured and murdered for no other reason than what they were.
He’d been relieved being able to exit that horrible room. The scent of blood kept his animal too interested in his surroundings. Alex normally had no problem controlling himself. In fact, he actually shifted a lot less than some of the others in his Pack. He’d always thought of himself as mostly human with only partial animal instincts.
He wasn’t so sure now.
Something was obviously bothering Angel since they’d entered the kitchen. She tried to smile and act as if she was fine but he could see it in her tight features and uneven breathing.
The last straw was seeing another man, a stranger, touching and speaking into her ear. Without even realizing what he’d been doing he’d almost pounced, only to be stopped by his Alpha.
Now, shaking and sweating from where Shawn pinned him, Alex had to struggle not to fight. Emotions still swamped him and he couldn’t see reason. His wolf wanted to get to Angel and claim her in front of the others. To let the men in the room know that she belonged to him and only him.
“That’s it,” Shawn crooned in his ear. “Let it go. Get control once again.”
His vision, which at some point had grayed, cleared. He peered up at his leader, trying to tell him how sorry he was for snapping.
“It’s fine,” Shawn replied to his silent plea. “Everyone here understands.”
Did they? They weren’t shifters. Plus, he wasn’t even certain he knew exactly what had happened.
Shit! What must Angel think?
He closed his eyes in embarrassment.
“Ready to get up?” Shawn asked gently.
Better face the music.
He nodded and accepted the hand that his Alpha had offered. Once on his feet, Alex raised his head to see Angel close by. The two Guardians stepped away at the same time Shawn’s bulk disappeared.
Angel’s gaze met his. Alex wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting but the compassion visible was a shock. He held out his hand and she leaped to take it within hers. He pulled her against his body, wrapping his arms around her. Burying his nose into her neck, peace settled through him.
She was rubbing his back while peppering kisses against his neck. Clarity back, he squeezed her once more, easing his hold. He didn’t let her go but instead tucked her into his side.
“I apologize for my behavior,” he told Caspar.
“As do I.” Caspar held out his hand. “I know better than to be so close to a shifter’s mate when the claiming hasn’t been completed. I was worried about Angel and wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Alex shook his hand. It rankled that he had to show any sort of submission to a stranger in his home but Caspar’s dominance was even stronger than his Alpha’s. Plus, he could easily pick up Angel’s respect and care for the man. After the tension with Kieran, he didn’t want that to extend to the rest of Angel’s team.
“I’ll grab the coffee,” Remy offered. Alex glanced up at Remy, receiving a nod of approval.
He flushed slightly. He’d lost control not only in front of his Alpha and his mate but Remy, a strange shifter in his territory.
Angel was tugging him to the table so he couldn’t worry about it just then. Angel slipped into one of the chairs against the wall. He scooted his chair closer to hers before settling on the sturdy seat. He placed his arm around her shoulder as she instantly cuddled into his embrace. Having her acknowledge his claim calmed his wolf, until, inside, he actually felt his animal stretch in contentment.
Remy arrived at the table with mugs and containers of sugar and milk. He hurried back, grabbing the coffee pot while they shuffled around cups. Once he had a full mug he took a strong whiff. He’d used his favorite southern blend that included pecans. The rich aroma drifted to his nose, making him smell home.
Beside him, Angel took a small sip of the hot drink and moaned. “This is good,” she told him.
Instead of commenting, Alex had to shift slightly in his chair as his body came alive at the sound she’d made. His hard cock pressed against the zipper of his jeans. Since he was in a room with others like him he needed to contain his arousal. The scent would be too easy to recognize.
Kieran grunted across from him, drawing his attention. He had his nose buried in his cup. He glanced up and grinned. “I need to take some of this with me.”
Alex laughed. “It’s a local company. I’ll get you a pound or two.”
The transformation that overtook Kieran was startling. Instead of the dangerous being that had pounded on someone not less than ten minutes ago, he was practically bouncing in his spot.
Angel giggled softly while Caspar appeared used to the change in Kieran and looked at him like an amused parent.
“You’ve just found the secret to getting along with K,” Remy told him with a wink.
Shawn cleared his throat. “Shall we discuss our next move?” he asked, pulling them back to the reason they were all there.
“I don’t think we’ll get anything more from Emilio here,” Caspar commented. “I’d like to take him back to our home base. The others are already locked up.”
“I agree.” Shawn nodded.
“What about the other three?” Remy questioned. “We sent people to Lubbock but they couldn’t come up with anything.”
Marcus’ daughter Kayla had barely escaped a kidnapping attempt while Marcus had been shot. Kayla lived in Lubbock and had hurried to her father’s aid even with someone after her. It took less than two hours to drive from Lubbock to Canyon so they’d been working on the assumption that the attack on Marcus was connected to Kayla’s attempted kidnapping. Turned out they were right.
“Remy and I could go check it out,” Kieran spoke up. “We know more now.”
“That might be a good idea,” Shawn agreed. “I could send a few of my wolves with you.”
“Nah.” Kieran waved the offer aside. “We know what we’re up against. Plus I don’t think we can count on them still being there. Your Pack should still be on guard here.”
“Yes, I’d say the rogue agents are going to make a statement soon. They’ll either try to finish things here or hit us at home. We’ve captured most of the Guardians that had gone off on their own but we also picked up two men who weren’t connected to us. Hopefully, once we get Emilio secured, he’ll feel a little more…talkative,” Caspar told them.
Alex could read between the lines. Once Emilio was at the Guardians’ facility they would find one way or another to get what they needed out of him. The small display upstairs had really been nothing. He shivered knowing just how damn dangerous this group was. Peering down at Angel, he wondered how she faired with the organization.
“I’d like to leave Angel here. She can set up a secure network between the Pack and our people.” Caspar looked over at where Angel was ticked up against him. “Plus I believe she has some unfinished business here.”
“I’m in the room,” Angel teased.
Caspar laughed.
“I think this sounds good to me. We appreciate any help we can get,” Shawn said. “Marcus returned home this morning, taking Kayla and Chase with him. They were going to shift and run in the area around the canyon to see if they could pick up anything else. I also have my Alpha-in-training, Max, speaking with the Wolf Council,” Shawn told them.
“We’ll drive to Lubbock, but if we don’t find anything we’ll head back up here just in case,” Remy added.
“After lunch,” Kieran stated firmly. “And more of this coffee.”
* * * *
Alex led Angel up the stairs, away from the guest rooms to where the master suite was located. Remy had volunteered to make lunch just as Max and Cassie had arrived from her house next door. Cassie had suggested they grill out so plans had been made quickly.
He was still shaky from losing control earlier so he’d stolen away with Angel to have a few minutes alone. Angel was quiet as they walked slowly to his room. While he always kept guest rooms available for the Pack, his own space was at the back of the house and farthest away from the other bedrooms.
No one came into his private space. Not even his brother and sister. Because he shared his home with so many members of the Pack when they needed him, Alex had found that he craved solace once in a while. Cassie had suggested he make the master suite his own.
At the time Alex hadn’t taken her seriously, but over the years he and his wolf had become more in need of separation from the demands of the Pack. He held his breath as he opened the bedroom door, allowing Angel to enter before him.
She gasped when stepping inside. Grinning, he closed the door before wrapping his arms around her from behind.
He’d knocked out a wall, making two rooms into one large space. Closest to the door, on the left side, was a soft brown fabric couch with matching reclining chair. The walls were floor-to-ceiling bookcases that held his favorite books.
Across the room the king-size bed was on a platform with a huge bay window. The dark chocolate bedspread matched the rest of the décor. Tucked in a corner was a small mini fridge and counter for snacks. Angel wouldn’t be able to see the bathroom and Alex had to fight the urge to take her in to wow her even more.
“This is awesome,” Angel said, turning in his arms. She looked up at him. “I love how warm it is.”
He grinned back at her. That’s what he wanted her to feel. To their right stood the rock mantle for the fireplace. During the winter, when snow covered the ground, he could see himself wrapped around Angel in front of the roaring fire. “I’m glad you like it.”
She rose onto the tips of her toes. “Is this all you wanted to show me?” she asked suggestively.
Just like that, in less than a minute, his cock was hard and straining for release. Bending his head down, he brushed his lips over hers. “No,” he confessed.
“Good,” she told him before burying her fingers in his hair and holding his head still.
He moaned as Angel licked at his closed lips. Opening for her, he tasted coffee and woman as their tongues grazed against each other and played. He tightened the hold he had on her back, pulling her even closer.
Sparks sizzled down his spine all the way to his toes. Need, almost overwhelming, welled up until Alex had to jerk back his head.
“I still don’t have full control over myself,” he admitted shamefully.
She was already shaking her head. She tugged his tucked-in shirt from his jeans. “I don’t want control.”
He allowed her to raise the shirt over his head. Once his chest was bare, Alex was impatient to get Angel’s clothes off. Kissing her deeply, he went to work on the button of her pants while pushing up her blouse. Only when they had to stop to catch their breaths did they pull back. At that time Angel let her top fall to the floor.
Angel’s body was gorgeous. Her breasts were full and round, encased inside black silk. Alex cupped her mounds, causing her head to fall back. Her sighing while he brought his lips to the soft garment spurred him on. He used his teeth to nip just above her clothing until she reached behind her and unhooked her bra. As her smooth skin was revealed, he dropped to his knees. He ran his hands down to her hips and took one pert nipple between his lips. He sucked while she started to tremble with need. He could smell her excitement and already loved the scent. He was a man who depended on his nose to tell him things. He didn’t actually need his extra senses, though, as Angel was vocal enough. She hissed, gripping the back of his head as he trailed his tongue from one breast to another.
Tracing the top of her pants with his fingers, he teased with what was to come.
“Alex,” she pleaded hoarsely.
He lowered his mouth to her stomach and kissed her skin while tugging down her pants, making sure to snatch her panties also. She had to lift her feet so he could slip off her shoes and socks, but before long she was naked in front of him.