“Whoa, you made a promise…I’m ready for you to see it through.” Lindsey followed, wondering what in the hell had made her say that as she watched Bliss’s enticing, firm ass swing from side to side. She stopped and faced Lindsey.
“It’s okay, Lindsey…I compelled you earlier to get you to come with me. You don’t have to do this now. I won’t hurt you, nor do I have any expectations of you having sex with me.”
“What? Compelled… I don’t understand. You compelled me to come with you?” Her mind filled with embarrassment and confusion.
“Yes. I needed a playing card against your Alpha, and you’re it.”
“So, you aren’t really attracted to me?” Where in the hell did any of those thoughts come from? Her face flamed with heat. “It’s all a ruse and I’m still a captive?”
Bliss chuckled as she slipped into her jeans and pulled a sweater over her head. “Lindsey, you’re no longer compelled. Stop this nonsense and get dressed.”
Lindsey sighed. “Oh.” Her mind whirred, still wanting to blaze a trail with her fingertips over Bliss’s gorgeous body and wondering the why of it if she was no longer compelled. Instead, she stepped over to the drying clothes and donned her jeans and shirt, snuggling her feet into warm socks. Then she walked over to the fire where Bliss prepared the rabbit for cooking. She sat on a blanket next to the flickering flames.
“Why’d you dump me into the water anyway?”
“Your scent would carry down the river like a giant smoke signal if we didn’t wash you clean.” Bliss looked up and studied Lindsey for a moment, smiled, and went back to her task.
“What about your scent? You didn’t dive in and rinse off.” Lindsey watched Bliss, her steady hand cutting with confidence.
“Ahhh, so you noticed.”
“Hard not to—since I was the only one soaked and freezing.” Lindsey rubbed her hands together near the flames, held her palms out gathering warmth, still harboring a state of frustration. Sexual tension rode high, like a bad habit developed from the numerous daily encounters with Smoke. How long would it take to bounce back to a normal sex drive?
Bliss continued skinning and gutting the rabbit. She put together a little spit-type set-up over the fire, skewered the carcass, and placed the ends of the skewer in brackets, one on each side of the campfire so the suspended meat hung at a good height for cooking.
“In response to your little bitch, I don’t have a scent. I’m half vampire, half Lycan. Mom did a one night stand with a vampire, apparently he wasn’t shooting blanks.” She chuckled and then continued, “Well, actually it was more like an orgy from what I’ve heard through the years. My father died when he latched onto another Lycan’s neck. Mom was pregnant with me before she mated with my Lycan father. Mom’s body finally rejected me, but thankfully she was far enough along I made it, but she didn’t.”
Bliss grabbed a rag lying next to her. She quickly stood as if needing to move away from the conversation then walked to the small pool of water near the far wall of the cave. She soaked an edge of the rag and wiped her hands clean of rabbit blood. Bliss’s gaze swung toward Lindsey, sending a lightning shock of prickles down her spine. The rag dropped to the floor and Bliss sauntered back.
“I’m sorry, Bliss.” Lindsey didn’t know what to make of the confusing electric charges blistering the air between them, but she did know a bit about being left on your own at an early age. Her parents, both prestigious lawyers, never had time for her. Being an only child without supervision opened up a world of possibilities in her teenage years. “How did the others in the pack treat you?”
“Because of the vampire, I don’t carry a scent and I have the ability to compel anyone’s will, like I did to you earlier. They didn’t trust me much because of those things, but most didn’t know why I had those abilities. Only my mother’s good friend, Rosa, knew about it, a female that had joined in the orgy. Her blood killed the vamp that sired me.”
“You’re kidding, right? Vampires? It’s been hard enough wrapping my head around werewolves, until I got stuck with the wrong one.” All the supernatural stuff she’d grown up believing as fantasy, imagination, myths, and legends. Paranormal and fantasy were the genres she used when writing her romance novels, and the reality of it unraveled inside her mind.
“As in, you belong to another?” Bliss shook Lindsey’s shoulder. “Hey, you okay? Your eyes sort of glazed over.”
Bliss’s voice faded as Lindsey thought of Trevor, his smile, warm embrace, his husky voice calling her
Darlin’
, and his wild exploring kisses. She sighed, knowing he’d never want her again, used goods, unworthy of being his mate. A fiend marked her body and now she’d lost her real mate forever.
Pain stabbed her heart. She gasped, gulping for air. Her world suddenly shattered. Every single moment of sexual abuse reared its ugly head and punched the strength right out of her, cell by cell. Smoke in the cave with her and Olivia, Smoke taking her and leaving Olivia drugged, Smoke drugging Lindsey, and her playing up to him as if he were Trevor, making love to Trevor in her mind while her body performed Smoke’s bidding.
Oh God, Trevor, what have I done?
Her torso dropped forward, face buried in her hands, as a gut wrenching sob shook Lindsey at every level of her being. Raging tides swept through her, pulling every last tortured tear out of her.
She had no idea how long she’d lain there when Bliss patted the back of her shoulder.
“Lindsey, you’re going to be all right. You’re free.”
Lindsey sat up, body trembling, a huge hole in her heart. Her dry throat rasped as she attempted to swallow. “What did you ask me?” she croaked.
Bliss stared at her for a moment, then pulled Lindsey close, arms wrapping around her shoulders, cheek touching cheek. They sat together for moments, until Lindsey’s shaking subsided, then Bliss broke away. She remained close enough their hips touched.
Bliss watched her, making Lindsey relax in the warmth of energy crossing between them. “I asked if you belonged to another, not Smoke.”
Lindsey sat up straighter, sliding farther away. “How did you know about Smoke?”
“That is the only news I got from my source, the name of the notorious Alpha that drove out the Westlyn pack. I assumed he might be your captor. So, who’s the other wolf in your life?” Bliss moved closer and gentled her fingers down the side of Lindsey’s face. “It’s okay to talk here, you’re free of Smoke.”
Lindsey exhaled the stale persona she’d worn like a uniform inside and out for weeks and met Bliss’s gaze. “I belonged to Trevor,” Lindsey forced the words out on a whisper. His name spoken aloud released a fresh well of tears, blurring the vision of Bliss’s face. “We were primal-mates, and I’m not sure what all that entails. Smoke kidnapped me before Trevor and I consummated. I wear Smoke’s mark…and his abuse. We consummated…I guess.” Lindsey shivered.
Bliss moved in a flash of seconds, over to the full-sized bed setting off to one side of the room. She pulled a quilt from the foot of it and carried the cover back to Lindsey.
“I’ve heard tales of this Lycan rogue, Smoke. I thought they were all fiction.” Bliss draped the blanket around Lindsey. “Here, wrap up in this. You were standing bare-skinned too long…now you’ve gone and got a chill.”
“I don’t think these shivers have anything to do with a chill in the air. I have to work on keeping my mind a blank slate…no talking about any of the people in my past or they become targets of Smoke’s sick threats to keep me in line. That’s how he operates and it kept me from running away.” Lindsey pulled the blanket tighter. Bliss wrapped an arm around Lindsey’s shoulder, creating a warm stir inside her belly. It’d been so long since Lindsey had actually had a conversation with another woman. It made her realize how much she missed Olivia.
“Forget about Smoke. He can’t hold a threat over your head if he can’t find you.” Bliss squeezed Lindsey’s shoulder.
“I’ve wanted to trust that he’d do the right thing and eventually let us all go. He’s planning something with all of us women. It has to be more than keeping us around for sex.”
“We’ll figure it out, but not tonight…you’re free of him for the time being.”
“So, what’s your plan with me?” Lindsey glanced over at Bliss, using her peripheral as she faced the brilliant flames of the fire. Bliss stared, heating Lindsey’s flesh more than the fire or the blanket wrapped around her. She longed for compassion, real passion, and Trevor. Bliss sparked the compassion and passion inside Lindsey, if only in testing the parts of her that she’d carefully tucked away for the past number of weeks.
“I want to know what happened to my father. Whoever is responsible will pay…maybe with his life if he took my father’s. I’m not sure what part in all of this you’ll play just yet.” Bliss raised enough to adjust the spit of meat, and then returned, again sitting so close to Lindsey, their thighs and hips touched.
“So do you have a primal-mate?” Lindsey asked, curious to find out Bliss’s story and hold the attraction to this woman at bay.
“I have yet to find my primal-mate. To be honest, I’ve been having too much fun exploring the opportunities among some of the hottest sexual beings I’ve ever known, male or female. Vamps, weres, or human…I like a variety.”
Lindsey faced Bliss. “So…do you suck blood?”
“Hell no. I’m blessed by some great abilities from the vamp side of my gene-pool, but I didn’t get the blood-lust…only the sexual lust that comes with both species. Lucky me.” Bliss turned the spit, smoke rolling off the cooked side of the rabbit meat and sending a delicious aroma through the air.
“Damn, I’m starving. How long before it’s ready?”
“Maybe twenty or so minutes. Tell me about the Alpha that took my dad out.” Bliss’s hand dropped to Lindsey’s waist.
“I’m not sure exactly which one did it, not sure if your dad was run off or…killed. I’m assuming Smoke did it. He’s the Alpha, but I’ve never seen him physically touch anyone, other than the human women…and me.” Bliss snuggled even closer. They gazed at each other. Sparks shimmered through their connection, from Lindsey’s eyes to her toes. Her breath caught. Then it released automatically when Bliss looked toward the cooking meat, and Lindsey continued, “The pack holds some type of regard for Smoke because of his position, but from what I can tell, the pack is made up of only criminals. What you call rogues. I hear them talk once in a while. They have no allegiance to anyone or anything. So, I’m not sure how much of their regard for Smoke is actually respect or admiration. For all I know, the pack could be gearing toward a mutinous take-over.”
“How long have you been with Smoke and his pack?”
“It feels like forever, but it was only the first part of October when his pack kidnapped me. It’s been a little over a month, I guess.” Lindsey stared into the fire, again her thoughts filled with Trevor. She sucked in a deep breath. It tugged at her tattered heart. “I’ve lost my primal-mate. Do Lycan love again? Will he find another?”
“Maybe. It isn’t the same as human relationships, where humans can come back from a break-up or death of a significant other and find a deep relationship in another. For Lycan, it’s more like a functionary relationship…and from what I’ve seen the two that come together have both survived the loss of their primal-mate.” Bliss stood and pulled the meat from the fire. She stepped over to a rectangular table, grabbed a platter from a box below, and set it on the table along with the meat.
Lindsey walked over to watch. Bliss took a knife from the same box and skillfully cut the meat from the bone, blading it into bite-sized pieces.
“How did you get all of this stuff out here without anyone in your pack finding out?”
“It took years. Nothing came from the pack settlement. That would be too obvious and definitely cause stirring curiosity. I stole some of it from different towns, bought some of it, and collected pelts from numerous hunts of mine and others. There’s actually an old fire lane only a few miles from here I use.” Bliss picked up the plate of meat. “Let’s eat by the fire.”
They both settled back in the same places as before, and Lindsey opened the quilt so Bliss could slide under one side of it. Smoke never allowed her to speak with any of the “other females” as he referred to them. Even during those five-mile runs, Lindsey got separated from the rest…any conversation she’d overheard from the women was due to Lindsey escaping Smoke’s tentacles long enough to eavesdrop outside the central building.
“So where are we?”
“My retreat.” Bliss looked at Lindsey like she’d lost her mind.
“No, I mean what state? We are still in the States, right?”
“What happened, Lindsey? Weren’t you awake during travel?” Bliss offered up the plate, Lindsey took a bite. “We’re in Montana, not far from the Wyoming border.”
“Oh my, this is so succulent, and I’m so hungry.” She relaxed knowing she was still in the States and quickly grabbed a couple more pieces while Bliss waved the plate in front of her.
Bliss devoured the rest and wiped her hand across her mouth after the last bite. Lindsey stared in awe at her.
“What?” Bliss licked her lips.
“You just ate all of it, the whole damn plate of meat.” Lindsey pushed the empty plate into Bliss’s belly to emphasize it.
“Good gods, woman, stop whining. I’m still hungry and know exactly what I’m going to eat next.” Bliss turned to Lindsey and pushed her back onto the soft warmth of the animal pelt laden floor. “I’m so very hungry for some nice, sweet pussy,” she whispered, and her moist hot breath sent a shiver down Lindsey’s spine that exploded into a myriad of tingles ending at her core. Bliss stood on her hands and knees hovering over the top of Lindsey, lips brushing lips, breath dancing with breath.
“Are you compelling me now?” Lindsey managed a whisper.
“No.” Bliss kissed the corner of her mouth, the tip of her nose, her eyelids, each one a bit longer than the next, feather light, gentle, warm, and most inviting. When Bliss’s lips finally met Lindsey’s, they melded into the other, lips parting and tongues exploring.
Lindsey had never known such passionate gentleness…her pussy wept for this woman as Bliss’s fingertips trailed downward, releasing the button and zipper of Lindsey’s jeans. Bliss broke away in a breathless flurry, her eyes glazed in lust and open admiration. She rose onto her knees and moved lower, pulling Lindsey’s jeans down her legs, but leaving the lacy thong in place.