A Lamb for the Bear's Appetite (13 page)

“God, Olive, I. Can’t. Hold. Off.” His orgasm rushed to the surface, and his bear roared out. He had wanted to feel her come undone around him once more, but when he had felt her nails dig into him he had lost it. She murmured for him to let go, pierced his flesh even further, and that was it. He came deep inside of her, felt his shaft pulse with every pump of cum into her, and groaned so low, so menacingly, that he was surprised he didn’t scent fear from her.

He came so hard, so powerfully, that he felt their combined fluids come out of her and coat the space between them. But Liam didn’t stop thrusting into her, couldn’t even if his life had depended on it. When his orgasm finally waned and he was now able to catch his breath, it was to realize Olive was pushing at his chest. He rolled onto his back, but instead of her moving away from him she straddled him. Grabbing his still hard cock, she rose up on her knees and lowered herself on him. He had just come harder than he ever had, but the feel of her sliding down the length of him made him feel as if he hadn’t just gotten off. She felt that fucking good, and the fact he was finally with his mate, filling her with his seed and scent, had a primal power surging within him. He needed to mark her, so that every male that looked at her knew there would be serious problems if they tried to fuck with her.

Once she was completely impaled with him it was like her own animal snapped, coming out and taking control. She might only be a sheep shifter, a breed known for meekness, but his mate was a fierce little thing. She started bouncing on him, her tits jiggling with every down stroke, and her already pink colored nipples deepening in shade. He wanted to grab her tits, tweak her nipples, and have her lose control, but instead he took hold of her curvy waist, and surged his hips up, pushing every fucking inch of him into her. This position had different sensations traveling through him, and had him hitting spots inside of Olive that he hadn’t been able to get in the missionary position. There was a little bundle of tissue deep inside of her, and he swiveled his hips, gripped her waist tighter, and ground her pelvis against his. He did this continuously until she threw her head back, and he knew she was going to get off from him hitting her G-spot. He could feel her swell around him, grow increasingly wetter, and although he had just
come
it felt un-fucking-believable.

Olive threw her head back, planted her hands on his chest and kept her pussy flush with his body. She rocked back and forth, working him inside of her, but also rubbing her clit on his lower abdomen. She came hard, and it was so fucking hot. Warm juices spilled from her pussy in abundance, and she cried out, but also he saw tears rolling down her cheeks. All Liam could do was
stare
in awe at her and watch as she came undone. She fell forward, and he didn’t wait,
couldn’t
wait. He opened his mouth, ran his canines along the slender column of her neck, and pierced the soft flesh. It was only enough to break the skin and allow his saliva and scent to seep into her, but that was all he needed. He now felt complete. He had claimed his mate, and she now wore his mark. They were one, and it was the most incredible feeling in the world. She rested her head on his chest, and Liam wrapped his arms around her and just held her, feeling so complete that he didn’t even know how he had functioned without her in his life.

He sensed her exhaustion, and it didn’t take long for her to succumb to sleep, but Liam didn’t move, because having his mate covering him, and being buried inside of her body, was not something he was about to stop. An asshole like him had finally had found something worth fighting for, and he would do it until he took his last breath.

Chapter Fourteen

Olive twisted her hands together as she stared at the television. It had been less than a week since she had left Trent’s compound and had been with Liam. The good news was Holden had made a full recovery, and far quicker than anyone, Luke included, could have hoped for. Since being with Liam in every way possible it was like that invisible string that held them together was pulled even tighter. She ached for him when he was close, and missed him when he was gone. It was crazy and illogical, but she was done questioning how she felt.

The news reports on the explosion in Kashton had played nonstop since it had happened. Maverick and a fearsome grizzly bear had stopped by and explained what they’d found out to her, but it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, because it wasn’t conclusive. They still had no solid evidence that any of the bodies found had been Trent’s, but deep down in her gut she knew he was still alive. Trent had so many people working for him, officials that would gladly have him line their pockets with his blood money. If he was alive, they wouldn’t know about it for some time, because that was what crooked people liked to do: cover shit up until the last minute when it could blow up in their faces. The news played the same crap over and over again. The bodies had been burned beyond recognition, some of them so badly that not even dental records would have helped in identifying them. So basically, Trent could have died, or he could be out there hunting her down, and if he was still alive that was exactly what he was doing. She may have only been a blip in his huge operation, but she had seen the dark need in his face, and she knew that he wasn’t the type of male to just walk away from something. He had wanted to break her, and she knew he would succeed one way or another. If he was out there he’d find her. No amount of distance would alter that.

“Baby, are you okay?” She looked over at Liam and nodded, but knew she had been projecting her thoughts and worries too hard. “Even if he is still alive there isn’t anything that is going to get through me to get to you.” Liam rubbed her shoulders. He was a protective mate, one that made her feel secure, but though Olive had only known Trent a short while, she had learned enough about the leopard to know that he was a crazy fucker.

 
“What if he is alive, Liam, and what if he finds me here? I don’t want to put anyone else in danger.” She was pissed at herself for many reasons, and didn’t want anyone else getting hurt because of her.

“No one is going to get hurt, okay?” He sounded so damn convincing that she wanted to believe him, did to a point, but there was always that little bit of doubt inside of her.

“Olive, I should just leave. I’m the one that got you in this mess—” She turned and looked at Holden, who was leaning against the wall. He had been watching the news, too, but he was stronger and keeping his emotions in check.

Before she could respond Liam was talking. “No one is leaving, okay?” His voice was hard and filled with anger. Neither said anything, because there was no point in arguing. “I’m here, Trace is here, and so is Maverick.” Liam stood and started pacing. “If that motherfucker even thinks about coming around here I’ll make him wish he hadn’t.”

She stood, starting walking back and forth, tying to get her thoughts together, but came up empty. Liam reached in his pocket and glanced at his cell. He slid his finger across the screen and grunted out, “Yeah?” He was silent for a second and slowly moved his eyes up to hers. “Okay, I’ll head up.” He disconnected the call and shoved the phone in his pocket. “Baby, I have to go upstairs. Maverick, Declan, and my dad are going over some things. He has a plan worked out if that asshole shows up. Do you want to head up? Maybe talk with Candace?” She shook her head. She was too much of a train wreck right now, and she sure as hell didn’t want her nerves to rub off on the wolf shifter.

“No. I’ve gotten myself all freaked out, and I don’t want Candace sensing any of that. She’s got enough on her plate.” It seemed like he might argue, but instead he leaned in and kissed her deeply. He pulled away and looked over at Holden. “Okay, but I’m right upstairs if you need me. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”

“I’ll be fine. We both will.” She forced herself to relax, because getting Liam all worked up wasn’t going to help the situation. Today she had been jumpy as hell, and she just couldn’t really place why. The only thing she could chalk it up to was the fact she had talked to the lion and grizzly, and that was why she had gotten even more paranoid.

“Why don’t you guys pack a few things, just in case we have to head out?” Her heart started to pound hard in her chest.

“I want to go up there and be included. I brought this shit on everyone, and I want to put an end to it.”

Liam shook his head once Holden stopped talking.

“I don’t think so. You might be physically well again, but you are far from strong enough to take care of you, let alone my mate if it came to it.” Liam was growling out the words, and when Holden took a step forward Olive’s heart slammed hard against her ribs. “Watch it, kid.”

“Kid?
You’re pretty much the same damn age as me.” She had never seen her brother so angry, and she knew it wasn’t because of Liam, but because of the whole situation with Trent. His mind was clear now that he wasn’t filled with all those drugs, and with his wounds healed and his body nourished he was starting to become stronger. But Liam wasn’t lying when he said Holden couldn’t handle Trent. Liam took a menacing step toward her brother, but she knew right now his bear was taking control.

“Holden, stop, just stop.” Holden looked over at her, and the scowl he had on his face dimmed. “This is way out of your element.” She didn’t hide the pleading in her voice. Olive had always been a strong female, had relied on herself to take care of Holden, but it was only when she was up against Trent that she realized sometimes someone couldn’t be that strong. “Sometimes you just have to realize when to give in and let others around you help.” She hadn’t meant to say those words aloud, but the surprise on Liam’s and Holden’s faces told her that she had just spoken out loud. Neither said anything, but she heard her brother swallow roughly.

“Listen, man, if you really want to help, why don’t you come up and see what Maverick has to say? At least you’ll know the plan if shit goes down.” Liam was still staring at her even though he was talking to Holden. Then he was striding forward, had his arms wrapped around her waist, and pulled her flush with his body. “Are you sure you don’t want to come up?” She shook her head and let his warmth seep into her. “I will always be here, Olive.” He whispered against her hair, and she couldn’t help but smile. “Even if we weren’t mates I wouldn’t have been able to stay away from you. I know that with everything inside of me.”

All she could do was nod, because she knew that she felt the same way. She had pushed him away at first, but there had been this magnetism about him, and she knew it hadn’t just been about him being her mate.

He placed a kiss on her lips. “Do I need a bag to pack because things just went really shitty?” she asked. He grinned and shook his head.

“Nah, Maverick just likes things to be in their right order. He just wants to go over an escape route
if
the time comes when we need to get you guys out of here. Declan looked up on this Trent guy extensively, and there is some pretty fucked-up shit going on with the male, far more than I could find out.”

Olive nodded because she already knew all of this, had seen enough depraved things while under his roof to know he was a sick fuck. But she could also hear the small concern in Liam’s voice, the one that he tried to hide, but couldn’t from her. He gave her one
more small
peck before tilting his chin to the stairs at Holden. She watched them leave and didn’t waste any time in going to her room and packing the clothes Liam had gotten for her. One day she’d pay him back, pay them all back for their generosity, but right now she had to go one day at a time. After she had gotten everything together, she set the small bag by the door and stepped into the living room, but when her sheep snapped to attention and when the scent of something foul and familiar pierced her senses, she stilled. Looking around she didn’t see anyone, but she sure as hell knew she wasn’t alone. There was an undertone of something burning, and when her gaze landed on the kitchen window that was slightly opened, she realized the scent came from outside.

Taking note that the stairs were only a few feet away, Olive knew that getting upstairs to where safety in numbers was, would be her best route. She took that first step, but suddenly the sound of a gunshot rang through the room, followed by glass shattering. Olive threw her hands over her head the instant she felt a powerful surge push her to the side. Glass sprayed across her arm, pricking the skin until the scent of her blood filled her senses. Her ears rang, but she didn’t stay on the ground. Her instincts had kicked in, and she knew Trent had found her. The bastard had tracked her down from Kashton, and was now going to finish what he would have done when her time with him was up.

“Well, well, well.” Blinking through the dust and debris that surrounded her, Olive scrambled up and turned so she was face-to-face with Trent. But everything stilled inside of her when she got a look at him. Half the side of his face was blackened and seeping with sagging flesh, and she now knew that was why she smelled something burning. God, he looked so disgusting, like someone had taken a blowtorch to him. The clothes he wore were dirty and ripped, but the expression on his face was murderous.

“It took me a few days, Olive darling, but I fucking found you, and how convenient that you happen to be shacking up with the polar bear.” He rolled his head on his neck, and lifted the gun he held to run it along the side of his uninjured cheek. She looked toward the stairs once more, and prayed to God that everyone was okay upstairs. As if she had spoken those words aloud there were loud footsteps moving back and forth right above her. “We don’t have a lot of time, but I’m not interested in prolonging this.” He took a step forward, and she moved back. “This certainly wasn’t how I wanted to spend our time together.” He shrugged. “But we can’t always get our way.” Her side hit the back of the couch, and her hand bumped into the lamp as she continued to move away from him. “I had so many deliciously painful things I wanted to do to you, Olive darling, but maybe in another life we can meet again.” His grin was dark and evil, and her stomach cramped with fear. She grabbed onto the lamp, held it, and would crack him over the fucking head with the damn thing if he came any closer. There were sounds of glass breaking upstairs, of a baby crying and of Candace screaming.

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Please let them
be
okay
.

But right after she heard that, there was deep growling, that of bears and lions. Trent must have realized that shit was getting real, and any minute people would come rushing down, or at least she hoped that was the case. She knew that he wouldn’t have been foolish in coming alone, but she didn’t know how many men he had been able to recruit in order to pull this off.

“
You fucking
crazy asshole.” She moved right before he caught her arm, but before she ran in the other direction she brought the lamp up and across his charred face. More flesh was torn off, and she gagged. He had to be weak for his shifting abilities not to heal him instantly, but then again no telling what the explosion had done to his body.

Trent howled in pain, but she didn’t wait to watch the carnage of his anger morph even further. She tore off for the stairs, but before she reached them the door to the upstairs burst forward in a spray of wood. She covered her face as shards of debris crashed down around her. When she opened her eyes seconds later it was to see a body being flung down the stairs with so much force there was no doubt she’d be knocked across the room when he connected with her. But before the body crashed into her Trent grabbed her hair and pulled her back. Olive cried out, reached back and clawed at whatever she could reach, which just happened to be his face, and felt his flesh peel under her nails. Her animal wanted to come out and fight, but up against a leopard she would be even more vulnerable. He twisted her so she faced him, and a firm slap to her face had her head cracking to the side.

“You know,” he tightened his hand on her hair, “I wasn’t going to kill you right away, but drag it out and listen to you scream my name.” He chuckled, wrapped his other hand around her waist, and lifted her off the ground. “But instead I’m going to have to make this quick before your mate comes.” But right when he said that last word there was a mighty roar. Another body was flung down the stairs, and seconds later Holden was standing at the bottom, staring right at Trent. She knew the harsh animalistic noise hadn’t come from her brother, and she feared there was too much violence for even Liam and the other males to handle.