Josh pushed forward, the head of his cock disappearing into his lover’s ass. Fuck. He’d never felt anything like it. So hot. So tight. So different from Hannah. But he wanted her too. Wanted them both. Fuck.
He pushed forward, pausing at intervals while Reed adjusted to him. Finally, his legs touched the back of his lover’s. Josh paused, sinking into the feeling of the vise around his cock. Then he pulled back until just the head remained buried and slammed forward again.
“Josh.”
“Reed.”
He grunted then thrust over and over, panting, sweat dripping, until only the sounds of pounding flesh and groans filled the room. The couch shifted forward with each thrust, and Reed pushed backwards, wanting more contact.
Lightning shot up his back, tingling his arms and legs, ending in his balls, until he came with a shout, his body pumping his seed into his mate, Reed soon following. Josh collapsed on top of him, his cock still buried. They were both sweaty and he pulled out then rolled them to the floor, a tangle of limbs and heat.
“I love you,” Reed whispered. “That was fucking amazing.”
“I love you, too. And tell me about it.”
Pain shot up his arm, and his head throbbed.
Reed got up on one elbow and ran his fingertips down Josh’s temple. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Never better,” he answered through tight lips.
If only that were true.
Chapter 25
Josh scratched at the scab on his arm, frustrated the damn thing wouldn’t heal fully. No matter what Hannah or North did, it still looked like a gaping wound. At least it didn’t bleed anymore. But it was beyond annoying.
Pin-pricks of sensation danced along his skin, ending at his temples. Growling, he rubbed them. Why wouldn’t this damn headache go away? It’d been acting up, getting progressively worse for the past week, since his interlude with Reed on the couch.
The three of them had made love every night, in various positions and couplings, and he felt closer to the both of them. Like they were a real family.
Blinding pain shot across his body, and he fought the urge to vomit. He let out a string of curses.
Hannah ran into the living room and held her hand out. “I felt your pain across the house. Let me help.”
He stepped back, cradling his arm. “I’m fine,” he bit out.
Her eyes widened, and Reed stepped into the room.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Josh shook his head. “I just have a headache and acted like an ass.” He shifted closer to Hannah and kissed her softly. “I’m sorry, baby.”
She smiled, but her eyes still look weary. “It’s okay. Pain makes everyone nasty. But let me help.” She held out her hands, and Josh shook his head.
“I’m fine, really.” Something nagged at him, some reason not to let her touch him. He didn’t know why, but she couldn’t be allowed to Heal him.
She shrugged but still looked hurt. “Fine. But please let me know if something is wrong. I want to help. Okay?”
He didn’t answer.
She brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes and reached up to place her lips on his. When the kissed ended, she walked back into the living room to look over a few of the Pack’s medical books she’d brought over from North’s clinic.
Josh looked over at Reed, who scowled at him.
“You’re not fine,” he growled.
“Back the fuck off. I just need a minute,” Josh’s voice raised with each word.
Why the hell was he yelling at him?
Reed growled again, this time his eyes glowing gold. “Watch it. Please.”
“Reed, leave off,” Hannah scolded. “Come and help me. Josh needs some space. I need your help placing names in this book with the faces I’ve seen.”
“Always the mediator, our Hannah,” Josh snarled.
What the fuck is going on?
“Josh, what’s up your ass? Why are you acting like this?” Reed asked, both anger and sadness on his face.
I have no idea.
“What? I can’t act like I want to? I can’t speak my mind? I’m sorry if I don’t want to act like the husband in this calamity of a relationship with the two of you. I’m not a sick fuck who needs this shit.” His vision reddened. The fury of his lies and anger tasted metallic on his tongue, but urged him to stand tall.
Reed scowled, pain in his features.
Hannah paled, her breaths shallow. “Josh, why are you saying these things? What’s wrong?”
“You’re what’s wrong. Everything about this. I don’t want this. I just want to go back to what I had and not even think about the two of you and your fucking mind games.”
“Josh.” Reed lowered his voice to a guttural growl, his eyes shiny. “I love you. Hannah loves you. But you can’t speak to us this way.”
He screamed, his fury echoing off their walls. He stumbled forward and shoved everything off the counter. Hannah yelped, and Josh turned towards her.
Just like the dream. Her neck begged for his hands. Josh clenched his fists, his mouth salivating for the kill.
Reed jumped in front of Josh’s prey, protecting her.
“I don’t need this!” he screamed. “I don’t need the two of you.”
“Calm down, Josh,” Reed soothed. “Let’s just talk about this.”
Hannah bit her lip, her eyes shiny. Why didn’t his prey cry? Shouldn’t she be sad? Her breaths grew shaky, her curly hair bouncing on her shoulders with each movement.
“Please, let us help,” she whispered.
Josh screamed again, a red haze filling his vision. The room lit in an eerie red glow. Apparently it wasn’t just his vision that was red, but his eyes as well. “I don’t need your fucking witch and werewolf help. I was fine before I met you. And I don’t need you now.”
He picked up the clay sculpture of a curly-haired girl Reed had made for him and threw it into the wall. It shattered into a hundred pieces, and Josh reveled in it. He turned from them and ran out the house, destroying more as he went.
The cool air brushed his face as he left the porch.
Wait. Where was he going? Shit. Go Back. Find them. Apologize. Let Hannah Heal you.
Anything to stop the pain. Not just his arm and head, but the bleeding in his heart.
A blinding pain came again, and he vomited in the bushes. Fuck. He needed to leave. Leave the Pack. Leave that sick filth behind him.
He didn’t care where he ran; he just needed to go. A flash made him blink. Then he saw nothing.
****
Hannah let the tears fell from her eyes as the front door slammed. Her chest ached as she struggled to breathe.
Josh had left. He’d actually left. He’d just broken their things, said words he couldn’t have meant, and walked out the door. Her heart quivered and she fought to remain standing. She’d thought everything was going well. The three of them were a family, and they’d been looking toward the future. They wanted babies.
She let out a sob.
“What was that, Reed?” she choked out.
“I don’t know, baby.”
She ran to his arms, sinking into his warmth. He sheltered her, holding her close and she inhaled that forest scent that came from his wolf.
“That wasn’t him.”
“I know. It was that damned fucking bite. We knew something was wrong but we pussy footed around about it. All we did was hope for the best and ask the elders. What the hell was that for, huh? I feel so useless. I’m a werewolf; I’m not supposed to be useless.”
She took a steadying breath. “We can’t just let him leave that that.”
“I know, come on. He can’t have gone far.”
He held her hand and led her outside. He turned his face up to the wind and followed Josh’s scent.
Oh, please let him be okay.
She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost him. She loved Reed, but it was the three of them that made their bond work. Giving herself a mental slap, she shook her head. She couldn’t think that way. They’d find him, restrain him however they could, and she’d Heal him. She’d use any power she could and find their Josh in the imposter that claimed him in fury.
Reed stopped and paled. Oh no.
“What?” she whispered. She bit her lip and looked around. She couldn’t see their lost mate. Where had he gone?
“He’s gone,” he whispered.
“Gone?”
“He’s gone. His trail ends here.”
She looked around. Only trees and greenery surrounded her. Most of the trees had lost their leaves before she moved in. Now in the dead of winter, their leaves lay like corpses on the ground.
“But there’s nothing here.”
“I know. It’s like he disappeared.” Reed gripped her hand and looked into her eyes.
“But what could do that?”
A pained look crossed his face, and he shook his head.
“Only one thing can do that, Hannah.”
“A demon,” she whispered and he nodded.
What had that demon done to Josh?
Reed pulled out his phone. “I need to call my dad. We’ll find him.”
Hannah let another tear fall down her cheek. Thoughts of what Josh’s new ability could mean warred with what she knew of demons. She felt sick. “But what if we can’t? What if the Pack won’t let him stay because he might be a demon?
Reed moved the phone away from his ear as the person on the other end yelled. “Um, Dad heard that. Josh is Pack. We’ll find him.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist. They could only hope.
****
Josh couldn’t hear anything around him and didn’t know where he was. He blinked and quickly shut his eyes again. That damned light that brought about the darkness hurt like hell.
Where was he? How had he gotten here? Wherever here was.
“I see you’ve made it.”
He looked up. The demon, Caym, smiled.
Oh sweet Jesus.
He shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on but take me back. Now.”
Caym threw his head back and laughed. “You don’t have any room to negotiate. But I didn’t bring you here. You did.”
His heart beat in his ears. “You mean I teleported here or something?”
The demon smirked. “Or something. You did it all on your own. But you won’t be able to do it again. So don’t try and go back to the Redwoods. You aren’t a full demon. When your powers came to fruition, you needed to find your maker. So you did.” He shrugged, like telling a human he’d turned him into a partial demon was an everyday occurrence.