Amazon (The Ushers 1) (11 page)

“May I?”
He felt her question through their link, soft as a whisper, laced with desire.

“Yes.”
He sent the thought with a caress of anticipation and felt her hands close around him. His hips jerked forward as she squeezed and stroked him with a tenderness he could hardly believe.

“Harder,”
he demanded.

Her hands tightened, a flare of heat surged then settled, pooled in his gut.

It took his breath away when she closed her lips over the head of his cock, and he felt his teeth shift, growing longer and sharper, that sweet blistering impulse to put them on her body, to drag them across her skin, to bury them in her while he buried himself in her…

“Stop,” he growled, and she allowed him to slip from her mouth with a soft popping noise.

Head lowered, she stayed kneeling at his feet submissively.

“Finish undressing me,” he whispered.

She stood and slipped his T-shirt over his head, tossing it to the ground behind her.

“Touch me wherever you like.”

His voice sailed like velvet into her ears. Bianca shuddered. She had often fantasized about a dominant lover, and his words made her body sing with lust. She reached out with one hand to trace the tattoos that covered his chest. His hand mirrored hers, tracing the delicate lines of her tattoos and then teasing at her nipples, first one, then the other. She felt his touch like licks of flame against her breasts, echoed in the emotions pulsing through their mate bond.

“Look at me. Meet my eyes.”

She felt his demand and shuddered as she lifted her eyes to his—dark with desire, soft with tenderness. He lifted his hands to her hair and feathered kisses along her forehead.

“I want to love you, my mate,” he whispered. “Let me love you.”

She felt a pang of confusion as he said it. Was this love? This desire she felt for him? She wanted him—needed him, even—but was that the bond, or was it real?

She sighed, rolling her head back into his hands. He pushed her back to the bed, stroking a hand down one long pale leg and then back up to tease at the tender flesh between her thighs. She arched into his hand, her body opening to him like the most delicate of flowers. Kneeling on the floor next to the bed, he slid her legs over his shoulders and leaned in to press a slow kiss into her folds. A sigh slipped from her as she threw her arms back over her head, letting the sensations of his lips and tongue wash over her like warm waves. He teased gently at the nub of her clit. Her back arched, pink nipples thrust into the air as wordless sounds of want and wonder surged out from between her lips, some wolf, some human, all craving. His hands slid up her body to caress her breasts, warming her flesh against his hands, pinching and tugging at her while she mewled and moaned, her hips rocking against the havoc his mouth played on her dripping flesh.

Bianca felt as though her whole world was centered between her legs, her hips unable to hold still, his precise fingers on her breasts sending a river of fire down her body. She knew her voice was incoherent, but she opened her spirit to him through their bond, letting him feel her wonder as he built her tension to a smoldering heat, her head tossing back and forth.

When she didn’t think she could possibly feel any fiercer temptation, he rose above her, driving into her in one sharp thrust. They both cried out in awe as she opened her eyes and looked into his. Tears flowed from her eyes as he began to rock against her, seizing her hips in his hands and baring his teeth. He held her right on the edge as he built his own desires to a fevered agony, and then he slid a hand between them, sliding her own wetness against her clit.

She lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing the heel of her palm against his teeth and sliding her fingers through the stubble on his jaw. The growl that came from him then sounded almost reverent to her ears as he bit down on her palm. The slide of his teeth into the skin of her hand was all it took to throw her, soul and spirit and body, into a wild climax. Her legs wrapped around his waist as her upper body heaved from the bed, and she threw her other arm around his shoulders and clung tightly as fulfillment racked her body. His peak flowed seamlessly from hers, and his body arched fiercely against her as he released her hand from his mouth and threw his head back in a howl.

At that moment, any barriers between them ceased to exist, and their bond threw them open to each other in a seemingly infinite loop of passion and satisfaction.

He pressed his forehead to hers and tugged her tight to his side, rolling them both up in her soft down comforter.

“Jack.” Her voice was soft and full of tenderness. He looked down into her eyes, meeting them with a smile that took her breath away.

“I love you, Bianca.” He wrapped her closer in his arms. “I didn’t expect this, but I’m so glad for it.”

“Goddess, Jack, I…” she whispered, stopping short before the words she wasn’t sure were true spilled out of her. If it was love, if it was truly love, she would know when she wasn’t surfing a post-orgasm rush.

“I have never felt this good in my life,” he murmured against her hair. “I’m overcome—no pun intended.”

“I know the feeling.” She snuggled closer. “I didn’t realize how much stronger our bond grows every time we are together.”

She yawned, her eyes drifting closed as she tucked her face into the side of his neck with a soft sound of contentment. The cost of that contentment was yet to be paid, but that wouldn’t prevent her from enjoying it—for now.

T
HE
N
IGHT
O
F
T
HE
F
ULL
M
OON
was sacred to wolves, a culmination of spiritual and physical change that repeated itself every twenty-eight days. It marked a renewal of faith, and while there were many wolves who didn’t consider themselves religious, there were no true unbelievers among wolves. Even the most secular wolves shifted during the full moon, joining their pack to run, play, and seek spiritual fulfillment.

Jack felt the loss of his former pack, wishing he could share with them the happiness he’d found, yet he couldn’t regret joining a new pack, forging a new family. In spite of that niggling resentment he still felt from Bianca, their bond was growing stronger. With less than an hour to moon-rise, the wolves of Amazon Pack were beginning to gather in a field along the edge of the property, which bordered a forest preserve. Most were in human form, in various stages of dress, from completely nude to mostly-dressed. Jack stood near the edges of the group with a circle of wolves who had become something like family to him over the past few days. Bianca stood closest to him, and along her flank, Kathy and Ellen stood by, her trusted staff and something very like sisters to her. Her mother—Ellie—and Sara would be joining them shortly. Monica, a short distance away, was conversing with two young female wolves who were also joining Amazon Pack that night.

“Is Sara going to shift tonight?” Jack murmured, wrapping an arm around Bianca’s waist.

“Mmm, probably.” She leaned back against him. “She usually does and then flies above us while we run. It’s symbolic of her pairing with me, but also something she enjoys very much.”

“Okay, mate?” she asked, responding to a flutter of nerves he was feeling, resting her head against his shoulder and soothing him with her presence.

“Yes. Just anticipation. Tonight, everything changes. I’ll be Pack again. I’m looking forward to having other wolves touch my mind.”

“I have to admit, it’s been really nice having you mostly to myself.” She winked at him.

He laughed. “You, Kathy, and Sara have been the only company in my mind for over a week now. I miss the feeling of Pack. But you’re right, it’s been kind of sweet to have seclusion for the early days of our bonding.” He stroked her face with one hand, cupping her chin. “It feels sacred.”

“It is sacred, my mate.”
Her wordless reply touched him deeply.

“Ellen,” he called out to the sun-kissed brunette nearby.

She turned to him and raised one brown eyebrow.

“Your wolf returns tonight?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Finally. Yes.”

“Welcome back.” He smiled to her, squeezing her hand.

She squeezed back, a broad smile on her face.

“It’s time,” Bianca whispered. “I can feel the moon calling.” She shifted an expectant gaze to Monica, who smiled back at her.

“Pack-mates: Tonight, we welcome four new wolves to Amazon Pack. We welcome the wolves of Ellen, Marie, and Allison back from the spirit world, where they have faithfully guided their mates to rest. We welcome Jack Murphy, who has forsaken his place in Mid-Atlantic Pack to mate with our Guardian, the Usher Bianca, the
Albina
of our most sacred prophecies, and to join our cause. Each wolf that joins Amazon Pack helps us to serve the Ushers. We’ve been blessed tonight, and we give thanks to the Goddess.” At the end of her speech, she threw back her head and howled, a sound of ferocious joy that shook with her power as Alpha.

All around them, thousands of wolves threw their heads back and howled with her. Jack felt his own howl rising in his throat as the moon called to him.

All around them, wolves began to shift, taking off at a run. Jack called forth his own wolf, feeling Bianca shifting beside him. As his body transformed, he felt a thunderous joy rip through him from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. He felt the brush of many minds, full of welcome, rejoicing at his presence.

He was a drop of water thrown into the sea, swept into the wave of Pack. Where he’d always felt his prior pack as a weight, here he felt buoyed along amongst thousands, and he realized that this was how it was meant to be, how the Mother had intended it. He felt a brush of cold against his mind; Sara had shifted and joined them. Beside him, his mate nipped at his flank and nudged him toward the woods. With a yip of pleasure, he took off at a run, the feel of all his pack-mates stirring alongside him. Bianca ran next to him, and he suddenly felt the superimposed avian mind of their Guide. With a howl of welcome to Sara, he crouched and tackled his mate, rolling her with him. He felt Bianca’s laughter in his head, felt the indulgent laughter of the other wolves. Felt a sharp, cold joy from Sara as she swooped and swirled above them. He felt her exhilaration, felt the wind pushing under her wings, felt her bliss at being airborne above the pack.

Bianca stepped in front of him and presented herself. He knew mated wolves would occasionally make love in wolf form, but as he hadn’t ever been mated before, it wasn’t something he’d ever done. He sent out his curiosity and his shyness in a question. He felt a wave of love and need coming from his mate, and suddenly, he understood. He felt the need to claim her in their wolf form that would complete the sealing of their bond. Taking her skin between his teeth, he mounted her and claimed her, sending his joy and his commitment to her through their link, feeling her joy, with a sharp edge. After, they lay snuggled together as wolves, and a lone raven swooped down to bless their mating.

“Bianca, let me in,”
he pleaded with her, stroking her muzzle with his own.

“What do you mean?”

“I can feel it, you know. Your anger. It’s an undercurrent of everything we share.”

“I can’t help it, Jack. I’m being manipulated.”

“It’s not me doing the manipulation, sweetheart.”

“But you’re the tool.”
The wolf beside him whimpered as frustration boiled between them.

He whimpered back, needing her to understand that he was on her side.

“My wolves, come home.”
Monica’s voice in their minds was full of quiet strength and joy, and it put an effective end to their attempt at detente.

Jack felt Monica’s presence far more strongly than he’d ever felt his brother Patrick. She was, quite simply, the most powerful wolf he’d ever encountered. Shaking his fur, he stood, nudging his mate to her feet, though she felt the same compulsion he did. Together, they took off at a run to find their Alpha. As they emerged from the woods, they saw the others who were gathering—not the entire pack, but the top-ranked wolves: Monica, Bianca, Kathy, and Ellen, as well as a young male Jack had not met before.

He felt the man’s mind brush his own, “
Welcome, brother.”

Nodding in reply, Jack shifted back to his human form. The other wolves followed, collecting the garments they’d left behind when they’d shifted to run.

“Jack Murphy, meet Angelo Gonzalez,” Monica said, introducing him to the other man. “Angelo is ranked Third. He protects Amazon Pack’s business interests. Do not mistake his intellect for weakness. He’s not only brilliant, but also ruthless. He’s not part of your team, but he’ll work with you and Bianca in your efforts to obtain legitimacy for Amazon Pack. He knows more about the pack than anyone, including me.” Monica’s lip quirked up in a rueful grin.

“Nice to meet you, Jack,” the other man said in a softly-accented voice, shaking his hand. “I’m looking forward to working with you. Bianca and her team are without peer. You’ve joined the very best Guardian squad in the world.”

“Thank you for the welcome, Angelo.” Jack smiled at the other man, feeling his loyalty and admiration in his mind. This man was exactly as Monica had described him. Brilliant and ruthless, he was a tremendous asset to their cause. His presence, while it did not scream “Alpha Male,” exuded a lethal power.

“Thank you for returning early from the run. Jack, now that you’re Pack, you, Bianca, and Angelo need to put together a team to petition your brother to convene a Wolves’ Council. You’ll leave tomorrow. I want Kathy on the team, and I want Ellen to serve as Guardian in your absence.” With a nod of her head, she turned away and headed toward her apartment.

“She is very lonely tonight.” Angelo sighed. Jack felt the man’s admiration for his Alpha and a bit of something much like love, a sort of sadness and protectiveness toward her as a woman.

“You love her?” Jack’s query was laced with uncertainty. He knew this man and Monica weren’t mates.

“Si
. But it is not important. Not her mate, just her friend.” The man gave a bitter smile. “The nice man’s curse. And yet, I am not a nice man, and I suffer it anyway.”

Bianca reached out and patted Angelo’s arm in a gesture of comfort.

“Angelo was mated before, very young. He lost his mate in a car accident shortly after he started his MBA at Harvard.”
Jack felt Bianca’s sadness for her friend.

“You were a Ghost.” Jack looked at the other man, feeling his heart twist in empathy.

“Si.”

“I’m sorry, Angelo.” He saw the other man swallow hard and then nod an acceptance of his words.

“Let’s go to the cafeteria and get some coffee. It’s going to be a late night,” Ellen suggested.

Nodding, the group started heading that way. Jack took Bianca’s hand, pressing it to his lips, thankful that he and his beautiful mate had found their way to Amazon Pack without the loss that so many of their pack-mates had suffered. Amazon was a pack of Ghosts, and Jack had a feeling he wasn’t the only one who was haunted by nightmares.

“So, we are agreed?” Bianca looked from Angelo to Jack.

They had a roster of eight wolves to travel to Mid-Atlantic. Graham, a member of Angelo’s staff, would join them, as would Kathy and three male wolves from the Guardian staff. Jack had explained that while Amazon’s Guardian team was mostly female, in proportion to the rest of the pack, his brother was more likely to respond favorably to a more traditional show of strength. In the end, they’d chosen the brawniest members of the team to accompany them.

“I wish we were dealing with Ted, or even Fionn. Patrick is the most pigheaded, but he’s Alpha.” Jack frowned. “He’s going to see you and Kathy as weaknesses, Bee.” He looked to his mate. “If there is trouble, he’ll go for you two first.”

“I know. I’m prepared.” Bianca smiled, showing her teeth. “Kathy will do her disappearing act if their aggression turns toward her.”

“But I’ll lead at least some of them away from Bianca first. I’m a very effective diversion.” Kathy grinned.

“Good.” Jack nodded. “Bianca, I know you can hold your own, but my brothers are strong and can be very vicious in a fight. I want you to know, I’ve always got your back. My loyalty is to you first, should it come to that.” His stomach lurched at the idea of his mate fighting his brothers.

“I know. It’s going to be okay. It might get tense, but I don’t think it will come to violence with your brothers.”

“I’m coming with you.” Sara’s voice pierced their discussion, and she sat down beside Kathy, who absently threw an arm around the Sara’s shoulders and pulled her into a side hug. Sara smiled at the bubbly little wolf and returned the hug.

“Of course you are.” Bianca frowned.

Jack could tell that Bianca was torn—she loved her Guide and took comfort in her presence but wanted to spare her the exhausting and potentially dangerous trip. Not to mention the way the tension between Bianca and Jack sharpened when Sara was nearby.

“My sister will be there,” Sara explained. “The second Usher will join us.”

“I thought your sister lived in California?” Jack turned his head to look at the Guide.

“She did. She’s been negligent in her role. She’s going to join us to see if she can atone for that negligence. The second Usher will have to make himself known to your brother Patrick if there is going to be a Wolves’ Council.”

“Do you know who the second Usher is?” Jack’s voice was quiet.

“Yes,” Sara replied, looking down.

“Can you tell me?”

“Not yet. He doesn’t know himself yet. My sister has a lot of explaining to do.” Sara frowned. “This is making things more complicated than they need to be. I’m furious with her.”

Jack could feel a touch of Sara’s fury. It was tempered with sadness and bewilderment. He reached out and put a gentle hand on her shoulder for comfort.

“I’m sorry, Sara. You can’t choose family,” he empathized.

She let out a shrill laugh. “Oh, Jack, as we go to visit your brother, I’ll remind you that you said that.”