Strength of the Pack (14 page)

“It’s one thing for the corporals and privates to have their bare asses on display when they shift back to human,” Madison continued. “It’s another for it to be the True Alpha.”

Lucas realized he had a point. “I think you’re right,” he said, pushing to his feet and sliding down the berm. He quickly folded up Noah’s discarded clothing and stacked it in a pile, pocketing the dog tags and chain.

“Take this, too,” Vince said, suddenly beside Lucas, handing over a box of baby wipes.

Lucas accepted it with gratitude. With Noah’s uniform and the wipes in one arm, Lucas let his M16 hang behind his shoulder as he picked up Noah’s LPCs with his free hand and scaled the side of the berm. He had no idea how to find Noah in the dark. Something told him to just start walking.

As the sounds of the encampment fell away and were replaced by those of the desert, Lucas spotted movement up ahead. From the darkness emerged the giant white wolf. Lucas stopped walking.

Noah never broke stride as he approached, his shoulders roughly the same height as Lucas’. Pulse hammering, Lucas could barely hear over the rush of his own blood in his ears. He swallowed hard when he recognized the dark patches marring Noah’s once pristine white fur were blood. Noah’s muzzle, his throat and chest, as well as his front paws were matted with the stuff, and Lucas smelled the coppery scent of it.

Noah’s breath was warm when he exhaled against Lucas’ side. Lucas held very still as Noah circled him, pressing his cool nose to various places and inhaling deeply. He quickly dismissed his own uniform, clutched in Lucas’ arm, but seemed preoccupied with the small of Lucas’ back. Lucas focused on his own breathing, struggling to keep it steady as the giant wolf examined him closely. He hoped Noah couldn’t hear his racing heart, because it wasn’t caused entirely by fear.

Lucas watched in fascination as Noah turned and padded a few feet away and sat down on his haunches. Familiar silver eyes held Lucas’ gaze for several long moments. As Lucas stood mesmerized, Noah shifted.

When Noah rose from his crouch, Lucas stopped breathing. He’d seen Noah shirtless, but he’d never seen him entirely naked. It was glorious. Noah stood at his full height, chin out and his blue eyes guarded. Lucas silently admired the breadth of Noah’s shoulders and the way his frame angled into his narrow hips. He’d seen Noah’s cock before; he’d held it in his own hand, but seeing it free of all confinement and standing half-erect was unexpectedly arousing.

Lucas pushed away those inappropriate thoughts. This was neither the time nor the place. Still, as Lucas watched, something in Noah’s expression shifted, and his stiff posture relaxed.

Setting Noah’s uniform and boots in the sand at his own feet, Lucas removed his Kevlar. He stripped off his armor, buried the stock of his M16 in the sand and hung his armor and Kevlar from the barrel. He grabbed up the tub of baby wipes. He took out several inches’ worth of the wipes and discarded the box on top of Noah’s pile of clothing. Shaking out one of the wipes, Lucas gathered his courage and walked up to Noah.

He started with Noah’s hand, using the moist cloth to wipe the tacky blood from what had so recently been a front paw. It took several of the small cloths before Lucas was finished, and the sweet smell of them filled the air.

Noah volunteered his other hand, and Lucas set to work cleaning it as well. As he worked, Lucas was aware of Noah’s scrutiny and couldn’t help the flush that suffused his face. He could feel Noah’s eyes on him; he knew when they drifted to his mouth each time he wet his own lips or to his throat when he swallowed.

Lucas shook out another cloth and lifted it to clean Noah’s face. He remembered the behavior of the wolves that had returned to camp and how the emphasis had been on physical contact. Lucas stepped close and pressed himself against the side of Noah’s body, feeling the heat of him through the layers of clothing. Lucas wiped away the blood from Noah’s chest. When he was satisfied with that, Lucas stepped around and pressed into the front of Noah’s body. He cleaned the blood from Noah’s chin and cheeks, feeling him lean in slightly. Lucas nuzzled the side of Noah’s neck, and in response, Noah ran his cheek against the top of Lucas’ head.

As he wiped away the last traces of blood, Lucas lightly skimmed his lips along Noah’s throat. Noah’s warm breath drifted over his temple. Lucas blew a puff of air into the hollow at the base of Noah’s throat and smiled to himself when he saw Noah’s skin pebble with gooseflesh. Maybe the strange effect Noah had on Lucas’ reactions flowed both ways?

Satisfied that he’d gotten most of the blood off of Noah’s skin, Lucas returned the wipes to their tub. He dug a hole in the sand with the heel of his boot and pushed the discarded cloths into it, covering sand over the mess with the side of his foot. When he was done, he glanced at Noah, wondering why he wasn’t already getting dressed.

Noah was watching Lucas’ every move closely. His lips were parted, and his chest heaved with each harsh breath. The only word Lucas had for Noah’s expression was
hungry
.

That was when Lucas noticed that Noah’s cock was now completely hard. He was longer and thicker than Lucas remembered. The dark blond hair at Noah’s groin emphasized the dusky shaft and dark red head as it stood out rigidly from the nest of curls. Lucas felt the urge to drop to his knees in front of Noah and take him into his mouth. Knowing that neither of them had showered in weeks stopped him.

Lucas took a deep breath and once again met Noah’s eyes. “What are you going to do about that?” he asked.

Noah didn’t answer for several heartbeats then, “Combat jack. It’s no big deal.”

Lucas lifted one eyebrow. He begged to differ. Walking around to stand behind Noah’s stiff back, Lucas opened the front of his uniform blouse and lifted his skivvy shirt up under his arms. He pressed the naked skin of his chest and belly to the heated flesh of Noah’s bare back. Lucas nestled his own burgeoning erection, now pressing hard against the fly of his uniform, into the cleft of Noah’s ass.

Slipping his left hand over Noah’s hip, Lucas pressed his palm to Noah’s belly to hold him steady. Noah leaned backward slightly and tilted his head back. Lucas spat into his right palm several times and reached around to wrap that hand around Noah’s straining erection.

Noah hissed loudly then growled low in his throat. His cock was hard and heavy in Lucas’ hand. Lucas pressed his nose to the warm place just beneath Noah’s ear. He stroked Noah’s cock quickly, squeezing hard on the head and giving a twist of his wrist. Noah’s hips flexed, pushing into Lucas’ hand and rocking backward again. His ass rubbed against Lucas’ cock, and it sent a shockwave rolling through Lucas’ pelvis and rocketing up his spine. Hardly realizing what he was doing, Lucas turned his head slightly and sank his teeth into Noah’s shoulder.

Noah’s answering growl rolled through his body and vibrated into Lucas’. The feel of it, along with the heat of Noah’s body, leeched into Lucas where their bare skin touched. Lucas shivered in response.

Beneath his palm, Lucas felt Noah’s muscles ripple with each movement of his hips. He listened to Noah pant through parted lips, felt it when a tremor ran the length of Noah’s body. Lucas felt Noah’s hands come back and grip his hips painfully. It was the first time this night that Noah had initiated a touch between them. Lucas sped up the movement of his hand on Noah’s cock and bit down a little harder on Noah’s shoulder.

“Fuck,” Noah whispered through clenched teeth, and then he came.

Lucas felt Noah’s erection pulse in his hand several times. He held Noah as his body quaked its way through the climax. With the exception of his harsh breathing, Noah came in silence. Disappointment spiked through Lucas until he realized that the weres in the camp could most likely hear any loud noise Noah might make. He was suddenly grateful for Noah’s silence.

The scent of Noah’s come filled the air around them, and Lucas was thankful the breeze was blowing away from the encampment. Lucas stroked Noah’s erection until the grip on his hips loosened. Noah’s muscles went lax against him. First Lucas released his teeth from Noah’s shoulder, then he let go of Noah’s softening cock. He kept his left hand pressed to Noah’s belly, supporting him slightly until the last of the tremors subsided, and Noah could once again stand on his own.

Slowly releasing Noah altogether, he walked around in front of Noah again, keenly aware of the loss of heat to his chest and belly. Lucas pulled several wipes from the tub and slowly cleaned Noah’s come from his hand. As he did, he wondered what it would be like to feel all that raging heat from inside of Noah. Lucas wondered how hot and tight Noah would feel around his cock. Ducking his head to hide his flushed face, Lucas pushed those thoughts away.

“Whatever it was you were just thinking about,” Noah said suddenly, the sound of his voice startling Lucas in the quiet of the desert. “Hold that thought until we get home.”

“I don’t think so,” Lucas said quietly. Fucking Noah would be so wildly inappropriate; Lucas had better shut down that line of thought entirely.

Noah took a step into Lucas’ space. He lowered his head and grazed his lips along the length of Lucas’ jaw. “But I enjoy the scent of your arousal.”

Shit. Noah may not be able to read Lucas’ thoughts, but he was clearly picking up on a myriad of other signals Lucas was throwing out.

“It would violate so many regs…” Lucas began.

“A True Alpha willingly submitted to you, Lucas,” Noah whispered against Lucas’ ear. “The consent inherent in that supersedes everything else.”

Lucas gave a shuddering exhale. He swallowed against a suddenly dry mouth. He wished he’d gotten more training on how to negotiate the social politics of dominating a were. Then again, it wasn’t likely the Marine Corps had an established policy for fucking your Team Leader, even if he was a werewolf.

Noah pushed up against Lucas and rocked into him. Lucas moaned when Noah’s large hand settled over his still hard cock and squeezed gently. Noah was suddenly kissing Lucas, their mouths sliding wetly against each other. Lucas gripped Noah’s shoulders in desperation. He licked back at Noah’s seeking tongue. Evidently, Noah was a quick study, having already figured out that kissing was Lucas’ Kryptonite.

Breaking the kiss, Noah rubbed his palm over Lucas’ erection. “What are you going to do about this?”

Lucas knew what he wanted to do with it. He was also aware of just how long he’d been away from camp. “Combat jack. Not for you to worry about.”

Noah made a disappointed sound.

“I’ve been out here with you way too long already,” Lucas said, reluctantly stepping back and slowly breaking contact with Noah. “Besides, I’m not the one who stopped an attack and saved an entire battalion. When we get back, I’ll take to my grave, and Gunny McAlister will make sure I have some privacy.”

Noah looked like he was about to protest.

“Sergeant, get back into uniform. Now,” Lucas ordered sharply, pulling Noah’s dog tags from his pocket and handing them over.

“Yes, sir,” Noah said quickly, responding naturally to the authority in Lucas’ voice. He took his tags from Lucas’ palm and slid them over his head.

Noah quickly slipped into his skivvies and uniform trousers. He laced up his LPCs and gathered his skivvy shirt and blouse, handing the baby wipes off to Lucas. It was a struggle at first, walking back to camp with a hard-on. Lucas clenched his jaw against the discomfort and breathed deeply, using mundane thoughts of his command to force his erection into submission.

As they walked shoulder to shoulder back toward the encampment, Noah tugged on the last of his clothes. Lucas replaced his armor, Kevlar and M16. By the time they stepped over the berm and into camp, Lucas knew neither of them looked any different than before.

It was how Lucas
felt
that had changed irrevocably.

When Lucas and Noah reentered the camp, it looked like the entire battalion was celebrating. Noah crossed to his pack of werewolves and allowed himself to be slapped on the back in congratulations.

Lucas’ return to their lines went largely unnoticed, except by Gunny McAlister and Captain Madison.

“Thanks,” he told Vince, handing back the tub of baby wipes. “You were right; he was covered in blood.”

“Good job, Lucas,” Madison said, cuffing Lucas on the shoulder. “The battalion sustained no casualties. That includes the werewolves.”

“That’s good, sir,” Lucas replied, dragging himself back into the present. There was a reason Noah had shifted into wolf form.

“I tried to raise you, but I guess you were off comms.” Madison gestured toward Lucas’ headset.

“I removed it to help Sergeant Hammond clean up,” he replied hastily, hoping the truth didn’t show on his face.

“They’re waiting for us at Battalion Command.” Madison gestured for Lucas to follow him as he started in that direction.

Dread settled in Lucas’ belly. “Why, Captain? What’s wrong?”

Madison shrugged. “Sitrep, I would imagine. We just endured a sustained mortar attack. Grab your Gunny, and let’s go.”

The three of them crossed through the lines of parked Humvees until they reached the single tent that had been erected for the battalion’s command staff. All the company and platoon commanders were already in attendance.