An Everlasting Bite (3 page)

* * * *

The night whipped by quickly as the warm air breezed across Rynn’s skin. The image of Briggs on the bike still had her heart racing. When he reached for the handlebars, his shirtless back flexed—every muscle stretched gloriously. She hadn’t really appreciated just how muscular he was. With only wearing a pair of low-cut jeans, work boots open, he looked sexy—very sexy. Her arms wrapped around his bare stomach, felt it tense beneath her touch. She inhaled deeply, intoxicated by the rich scent of her mate. He smelled like a day after summer showers, a scent she’d recognize a mile away since it was uniquely his own. Being so close to him like this felt wonderful. Needing more, she laid her head against his back. The moment she did, his body loosened a little—the tension of his tight muscles disappeared as she wrapped her arms around him even further.

It told her one thing. He craved her contact, needed to hold her close. The thought that he restrained himself, probably because he wanted to give her time to be comfortable with him, made her hold onto him even tighter.

His thoughts revolved around her. She needed to remember that and try to give a little. No matter how scared she was, he deserved her trust.

A few miles passed beneath the wheels of the bike before the motor quieted as they slowed down. She raised her head, but kept her chin on his back, as a small log cabin nestled into a deep forest came into view. Down a bit further, a boat sat tied to a dock with a huge body of water resting quietly.

Briggs pulled up to the front of the log cabin, pushed out the kickstand, then reached back to take her hand and help her off. Instantly, they walked toward the cabin, hands still joined. It was so silent here. Not even a gentle wind in the air to make a sound.

Peaceful. Everything that home should be.

At the door, he gave her a little grin, then opened the door and nodded her in. Rynn stepped through and smiled.

The cabin was essentially one room that had been broken up into a bedroom, living room and kitchen. Two large chocolate brown couches sat huddled around a wood burning stove on the right. To the left, a little kitchen with pots hanging from the ceiling, and at the back of the room was a king-size wooden bed with a country quilt on top.

Luxury was nice but this was so much better. It was home.

Briggs stood behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not as lavish as Valor’s—if you want something…”

Rynn glanced over her shoulder, interrupted him. “I love it.” Love might be a strong enough word to describe it, but maybe it wasn’t the home as much as it was who lived in it. Briggs’ personality was all over this house—simple, full of heart, charm, and comfort.

Briggs’ worried eyes settled and a smile grazed his lips. He leaned down, laid a butterfly kiss on her shoulder, then lowered his hands. Rynn stepped forward to have a better look, while he headed over to the kitchen, filled a pot of water, set it on the burner and turned on the stove.

The oversized couch looked inviting—big and fluffy. Rynn sat down, embarrassed that her feet didn’t even touch the ground. Being only five-foot-three, her height always left her a little flushed. Instead, of sitting there like a child, she tucked her legs in underneath her.

A moment later, Briggs returned, tea in hand. “Sweet, but not too sweet, right?”

She nodded and took the porcelain mug from his hand, raised it to her lips and took a sip. Perfect. Only took him a couple days to get the pinch of sugar with just a dab of milk right. After another sip, she lowered the mug and rested it on her legs, her hands wrapped around the warm cup. She was still worried about Briggs returning to his duty to Valor and needed to understand more of what she was getting herself into. “How often does this
gathering
happen?”

“As often as it needs to,” Briggs settled on the couch next to her. “Something must be up. Valor wouldn’t even discuss it on the phone.”

Her mind felt lost and confused, not a position she liked to be. Sounding stupid was never fun, but her curiosity of this world intrigued her too much to say nothing. “What could be up?”

“Feelin’ a bit lost, are you?” His eyes were laughing, even though his face showed no humor.

She shrugged, pushed away the embarrassment that threatened to rise even though she suspected Briggs liked seeing her in this position because he thought it cute. “Diddly squat would know more.”

Briggs laughed, gave her cheek a rub with his fingers, which only proved her suspicion. “It’s quite simple, love. As you know, Valor leads the Utah pack, but he is also the head of the United States Alphas. When problems arise within, they’re settled by Valor’s decisions.”

Okay, that all made sense. She wasn’t quite sure she liked where this was going. “So what’s going on is something serious then?”

Briggs nodded without hesitation. “Very serious. Gatherings are only called when the resolution is not easily found.”

Nope, she didn’t like where this was going at all. It sounded dangerous. “What kind of problems do Alphas have between each other?”

“More than you can know.” Briggs sighed. “It’s a job that never rests and why Valor hired me. The duty was straining on him.”

“So you’re not an Alpha, then?”

“Alpha blood runs through me, yes.” He began to run his finger lightly along her thigh. “But I did not want to claim the position.”

Her gaze fell to his finger. His touch was so feather-light, it tickled. Such a simple move, but one she could feel linger within her whole body. She pushed away the effects and tried to focus completely on the topic at hand. “Why wouldn’t you want that?”

“Simply put, to overtake an Alpha, a fight between the two occurs. Whoever is left standing will remain Alpha, until another challenge arises.”

A pretty flat answer, considering the subject. Something else though, made her curious. “You didn’t want that kind of power?”

His eyes darkened and his finger stopped moving along her skin, only to press into her leg. “When I was born, my father led the Wyoming Pack. Close to my twentieth birthday, he was killed by another Alpha who had challenged him, and who is still the Alpha. As a rule within the Alphas, if the current mate will not submit to the new Alpha then she is destroyed as well. My mother was deathly loyal to my father.” He hesitated a moment to clear his throat. “You can imagine the outcome.”

Rynn gasped, raised her hand to her mouth. He couldn’t really be saying that he saw his parents had been killed in front of him? “You witnessed this?”

No sadness showed on his face. “I did.” His voice was flat as before, as if it had no effect on him whatsoever.

“That’s horrible.” Rynn didn’t have the ability to hide her emotions like him. She could hear the despair in her own voice.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s the way of the wolves—done thousands of times.

I’m not special in seeing this.”

That explained the coldness—it was normal to them. But far from ordinary to her and something she had trouble wrapping her mind around. “Still, it must have been hard.”

His smile was reassuring as he raised his hand to smooth out the worry etched around in her brows. “It was a sad day, this is true. That’s when I decided I would never want for that life no matter what power came with it. The thought of my future mate suffering so.”

He shook his head, his disparity now showed through and his eyes became darker in color. “Not until now have I realized just what a monumental moment that was. It’s not a situation I would want you in.”

Her heart melted. Repeatedly, he proved how much his thoughts revolved around her. This conversation should be all about him, yet somehow, he flipped it to be about her. As much as it touched her, the desire to know more about him overwhelmed her.

“So, that’s why Valor asked you to be his Beta, right?”

He nodded and resumed the light dance of his fingers along her thigh. “It was an ideal situation for him. A wolf with the Alpha qualities, but one that did not seek the power, he knew I would stay neutral.”

She grabbed his hand, hoped her words came out as heartfelt as she felt inside. He might shower her with compliments and she might have trouble taking them, but she could say the same about him. “He is right to trust in you.”

He smiled softly. “A sweet thing for you to say, darlin’.”

“Is the Alpha who did this…is he still…” she started.

“Three years ago he was overtaken.”

His tone was emotionless, which didn’t surprise her. She actually didn’t mind the idea of hearing that the Alpha had received what was coming to him. She opened her mouth to ask another of the thousand questions racing through her mind, but could only yawn.

Briggs reacted instantly and stood, then pulled her along with him. “You’re tired, love. We can talk more tomorrow.” He released her hand, headed toward the kitchen and reached for the wooden chair that rested beside the table, presumably to drag it over to the bed.

Rynn rushed forward, grabbed his hand midstride and forced him still. “No. You don’t need that.” Her heart raced in her chest, nerves made her stomach turn and sweat beaded along her skin.

This was a must. This was their home. He shouldn’t need to sleep in a chair. It’d just be more awkward to break this habit later. This was
his
bed, he should stay in it too. She wanted him to stay, especially knowing how much her closeness meant to him. Yes, she could do this.

Briggs examined her brow arched, his gaze questioning. “You sure you’re ready for that?”

Was she sure?
No.
But she wasn’t sure she’d ever be. She gulped back the fear, hoping she sounded confident. “Yes, I’m sure.”

He appeared to believe her or perhaps he was just doing as she asked, she didn’t know. He took her hand again, led her over to the bed and pulled the blankets back, then motioned for her to get in first. After she settled her head against the pillow, Briggs dropped his pants and climbed in behind her.

Rynn’s eyes stayed glued on the log wall in front of her. Briggs’ warm body came up tight alongside hers and her throat constricted, hardly letting in air. She didn’t doubt he could hear her heart beating a mile a minute because she could hear it too. It sounded loud to her own ears.

“Come here,” Briggs said softly. She squirmed back until there was no distance between them. He wrapped his arm around her hip loosely. “Is that all right? Not too constricting?”

“Its fine,” she replied, a bit strangled. It was one thing to be wrapped around him, but having him wrapped around her overwhelmed her. At the same time, his touch felt so right—perfect.

It just took a moment to settle into having him so near. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be touched him—there were little flickers of excitement whenever he connected with her skin—but getting passed the fear was the hard part.

Just as the lingering effects of trepidation fluttered away, she leaned back further and took Briggs’ hand that dangled across her. She tucked it into her chest so she could hug it, feel him as close as possible. He hummed in approval and sank in against her.

With the added closeness, something else started to rise. His hard erection cradled along her buttocks, and it was just the thing to make this not okay. She jumped and let out a tiny squeal. Briggs instantly let go.

“Too much?” Worry filled his voice.

She gulped deeply, gained control of herself, before she answered. “Sorry, it’s just…I felt…”

“He has a mind of his own,” he told her quietly. “Trust me, darlin’, I have no intention of pushing you into anything. Just being here with you like this is enough.” He pulled her back slowly so that she lay in front of him again, then positioned his thigh against her bottom.

His sleep came long before hers, but it not because she was scared or uncomfortable.

She finally felt safe and loved. No matter what had happened before, right now everything was okay.

With Briggs, her world was perfect and something deep within her told her it always would be.

Briggs eased the throttle on the bike. The wind around him became a gentle breeze as he turned the handlebars to guide the bike into the resort. He glanced over his shoulder to where Rynn had her head resting, and said, “Wolf Creek Utah.”

The journey to the resort located in Logan’s Canyon, known best for its million dollar views, golf courses, lakes and mountains, had taken longer than it ever had. All due to his selfish wants. Having Rynn so close to him, without fear, without hesitation—

he wasn’t about to rush this time with her.

And he felt a loss, when he stopped the bike, and she leaned away from him. He reached back to her and assisted her off the bike.

“Wolf…huh.” She laughed, looked around at the scenery a moment, then looked back to him. “Is that a coincidence?”

“Nah,” Briggs jumped off his bike to stand beside her. “Valor owns this place.”

She looked back at the log mansion surrounded by large stone boulders. She was clearly awed. Valor’s homes were something to marvel. Too big for his liking, but nonetheless they were beautiful.

“Is this the lodge?” she asked, unable to look away.

Briggs smiled. She looked incredibly sweet befuddled. He took her hand and led her forward to the side of the house, which gave a good view of the grounds. “No, the Red Moose Lodge is a ways away. This is Valor’s home when he stays here.” He pointed toward the mansions spread out through the hilly terrain. “The Alphas will stay in those.”

“Briggs!” Valor called out.

He glanced over his shoulder to see his boss and friend exit the house and quickly approach. He instantly felt a powerful surge of insecurity rage through him, a feeling he’d never felt before. Curious, he looked down at Rynn. She stood with her head bowed, glancing at her feet. Now, he understood the feeling—submission.

Valor gave Briggs a knowing look, before he turned back to Rynn. He placed a finger under her chin, lifted her head to meet his eyes. “That is a natural reaction, Rynn.

As wolves, we are subordinate to our leaders. But you do not need to do that with me.”

Then, he glanced at Briggs, his gaze unwavering. “You need to work on that with her. We cannot have that happen here.”

Briggs nodded. “Will do, boss.”

If Rynn displayed that reaction in front of the other werewolves, they’d make a dirt rug of her. He hadn’t seen her react that way yet, and though it pleased him that her wolf had developed enough to display that type of respect, it unsettled him that this might be an obstacle for her. He would see to nip this little problem in the bud immediately.

“Come on you two.” Valor waved them forward and headed back toward the house.

“The Alphas will be here shortly and I need to fill you in.”

Briggs took Rynn’s hand and gently pulled her forward. He could see she had questions about what Valor just told her, plus a little shock that she had reacted the way she did, but he needed to get up to speed on the situation first before he could deal with anything personal.

Valor held the door open as they entered the house. He suspected Rynn was going to be as taken with the inside as she was the outside. The full windows that overlooked the grounds and surrounded the living room were breathtaking. Even to him and he’d seen them a hundred times.

Valor took a seat on the couch that faced the wall, while Briggs led Rynn to a loveseat that would give her full view of the windows. As suspected, Rynn’s eyes went a little wide and her mouth formed an O as she stared at the view in front of her.

Briggs smiled, then focused on Valor. “What’s happened?”

As his gaze met Valor’s, he suddenly noticed the tension set deep in his eyes, which meant only one thing—danger. With Rynn next to him, the last thing he wanted to do was bring her anywhere close to the violent sides of werewolves. Her human upbringing had shown already, in her shock mainly, that she would likely not handle it well. Sheltering her from it would only draw out the reality.

This was her life now. Though he hoped to protect and support her while she faced this world, he suspected it would still throw her a little off balance.

“Hendrix contacted me…” Valor said, drawing Briggs’ gaze back to him.

“The Montana Alpha,” Briggs whispered to Rynn quickly, sensing from their bond that she had trouble following along.

Valor rubbed his hands across his stubbly face. “His daughter, Kali, has been abducted.”

“Stolen?” Briggs responded, incredulous. “From her home?” He’d never heard of such a thing. He immediately regretted his decision to return to his duty. He didn’t want Rynn anywhere near this. It reeked of hard times ahead.

Valor nodded. “Hendrix said he searched for days following her scent, but when he hit Minnesota, it vanished.”

“What would someone want with her?” Rynn’s asked in a soft whisper.

Valor shrugged as he shook his head. “I have yet to find the answer to that question.

A part of me wonders if the young wolf has not left willingly.”

“What leads you to that assumption?” Briggs asked.

“There was no struggle,” Valor responded. “No blood or disturbance anywhere. I find it hard to believe that a werewolf would just allow herself to be taken without a fight.”

“Aye, I see.” It was an obvious assumption. Even if she was young, she still could have caused an injury or two. The fact that her room was completely undisturbed left a bad taste in his mouth also.

“When I joined in the search,” Valor continued. “I also lost the trail in Minnesota.

There was no trace of her—leaving Hendrix with one theory.”

Briggs nodded in understanding. “He is blaming the Minnesota Alpha, Sayer.” If this was true, Hendrix would be out for blood. Just another thing he wanted to keep Rynn away from.

Valor gave Briggs a shrewd look. “Yes, he believes Sayer is to blame. I, on the other hand, have not come to that conclusion as of yet, but Hendrix will not listen to reason.

His claim is even if Sayer wasn’t directly responsible, he is accountable for the wolves in his pack. Since the trail ended in Minnesota, he believes she is hidden there, her scent masked somehow.”

“How would they do that?” Rynn asked, her tone curt with confusion.

Briggs wasn’t annoyed by her questions, they were valid, and he would do his best to see that she understood the situation she’d been brought into. “By confusing the scent, her trail is only marked by her touch against the ground. If that contact was gone and she was carried, her scent would be gone with it.”

“Exactly,” Valor agreed. “When we hit Minnesota her scent ended, mixed with ten others. We couldn’t pinpoint her location since it was intermixed.”

“Ten other wolves?” Briggs exclaimed. He mentally swore obscenities to himself.

This just cemented why he didn’t want Rynn involved. His need to return to Valor was being thrown back at him and he could thrash himself for getting her entangled in this.

“You see the seriousness of this.” Valor sighed deeply with unease. “This was not a single wolf acting here.”

“I do see,” Briggs took Rynn’s hand in his and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. His need to protect her made his thoughts foggy. He didn’t want to frighten her and refrained from asking any more on this subject until he was alone with Valor. At the same time, he’d already decided he couldn’t shelter her. Resigned, he looked back up at Valor. “What is Hendrix asking for?”

“Either for Sayer to produce her or I intervene.” Valor’s expression spoke volumes.

The latter option was one he didn’t want to proceed with.

Briggs looked toward Rynn, felt the confusion raking her. He couldn’t hide the slight grin on his face seeing her face squished together in thought. But just because he enjoyed seeing it, didn’t mean he would let her suffer in this state. “When Valor intervenes, the result is death.”

Rynn gulped. “Oh,” was all she said.

“The Alphas and mates arrive soon to help resolve this.” Valor said as he stood.

Briggs followed and pulled Rynn up with him. Valor took a couple steps, closed the distance between them, then glanced at Briggs. “You need to prepare her.”

Briggs responded with a firm nod. Yes, there was so much to prepare Rynn for, but he was unsure where to start. He had purposely kept some things from her, not wanting to overwhelm her, but the time for keeping her away from the truth was over. He wasn’t quite sure what he was going to say and hoped he didn’t fuddle up his words.

Valor took her chin in hand again and tilted her head up. “You need to be strong here. Do not let them get to you. Do you understand?”

She nodded, the puzzlement clear on her face.

Valor seemed to approve of her response. He stepped back, crossed his arms over his chest and examined her. “You are looking well, Rynn.” A blush rose to her cheeks.

“Thank you.”

Briggs had already discovered she didn’t handle compliments well. He would make a habit to tell her daily how beautiful she was. Hopefully she’d grow used to hearing such things and begin to believe they were true.

“You’ve done right by her,” Valor said, drawing Briggs’ focus back to him and away from his mates’ crimson cheeks.

He nodded in acknowledgment. It came as a relief to know that Valor had seen a change within her, because then, Briggs knew that he wasn’t just imagining that she was getting better. The pain, hardness and disparity were vanishing—replaced with hope, joy and peace. He made it his goal to see that those emotions in her only grew until no trace of her harsh past existed.

Valor gave Briggs a determined look that he knew well, then turned back to Rynn, hiding the expression with a soft smile. “Would you please excuse Briggs and I for a moment?”

Rynn looked at Briggs in question and he nodded encouragingly. “Just wait over there by the window, darlin’. Enjoy the views.”

Her mouth parted as if she was about to reject the idea. He suspected she didn’t like the idea of not knowing everything, but once she caught sight of the view, she lingered over there without looking back. He chuckled to himself while he followed Valor back to the front door.

Once there, Valor placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned into him and whisper in a low voice Rynn could not hear. “You haven’t completed the bond.”

“She’s not ready,” Briggs whispered back. And he believed that. He would never suggest that she mate with him yet. She could barely have him wrapped around her before sleep. Yes, they kissed, but it was not the kind of kissing connected with mating. It was gentle, and he wasn’t sure he could be gentle once he began to take her.

Valor groaned, his mouth a tight line of unhappiness. “This is not an ideal situation you are entering her into.”

No, it wasn’t and Briggs knew it. The others would frown upon this for many reasons. But what could he do? He wouldn’t push her. “I don’t care how it will look to the others. I will not rush her.”

“I do understand, Briggs.” Valor hummed slightly and removed his hand from Briggs’ shoulder to cross over his chest as he examined him. “I am only fearful of the conflict it might raise.”

Briggs could feel the tension in him rise. It was true that leaving Rynn unclaimed by him could land them in a heap of trouble among the unmated Alphas, but he wouldn’t push her unless he needed to. “We’ll face that if we come to it. Her emotional state is important, first and foremost. Let’s see if there is any interest first. It might be a worthless worry.”

A long resolved sigh came from Valor. He studied Briggs a moment longer, then gave a resolved nod. “If that is your wish, I will respect it.” He cocked his head curiously.

“Do you want me to tell the others what has happened to her?”

“No. It is not to be shared.” Briggs’ tension grew and his blood began to boil.

“As you wish,” Valor responded. “But be sure that she knows of her heritage. Make her well aware of what will happen here.”

The boil in his blood had reached a critical level, his voice came out in a low growl.

“Nothing will happen to her here. I will not allow it.”

Valor chuckled and gave Briggs a rough slap on the back. “It pleases me to see your protective nature, Briggs. It is one I’ve not seen in you before.”

Briggs let the roar in him settle. Valor was only looking out for her. He glanced back at her, seeing her face pressed against the window as she scanned the grounds. “She’s just such a little soft thing—the Alpha in me roars to protect her.”

Never had he felt like this with a woman before. He’d never been in love. With Rynn, he loved with a deepness that was almost impossible to control. It wasn’t only her beauty. She was small, only coming up to his chest, and had rounded curves that he longed to discover with his mouth. Soft and silky long brown hair, her silver eyes were not only mesmerizing but also the kindest ones he’d ever seen. She was his to love, protect and enjoy forever.

“Just make sure she is aware, all right?” Valor’s chuckle deepened as he gave him another good tap on the back.

“Will do, boss.” Briggs gave his head a shake and settled his thoughts.

Valor opened the front door and left. Briggs made his way to Rynn who currently ran her hands along the leaf of a potted plant. The way she caressed it sent a fierce craving in him to feel that hand along his dick, which hardened at the thought of her touch on him.