Racing Hard (Dirt Track Dogs Book 4) (8 page)

Tana’s eyes peeled wide and her gasp echoed against the water of the creek. Her hands flew to his head to keep him there, but he had no intention of going anywhere. He wanted her hovering on the razor edge of bliss so when the moment came for them to join, she’d feel nothing but pleasure.

When he pushed a finger inside and she began to quiver, Surge knew it was time.

“You’re ready for me, mate,” he choked out.

He pulled back, sweeping his palm down the valley between her breasts until he reached the claw marks that changed her future. Softly, he brushed his fingers over them, pushing all his love at her through their bond. And she felt it even though the claiming wasn’t complete. He knew because he could feel her love returning to him.

“Rewriting history, Tana. That’s what this is. Reminding the bastard past we aren’t his to fuck around. Marking out the black spots on our timeline to make room for the future. The beautiful goddamn future, no matter what it holds. You up for that, baby?” He positioned the tip of his erection at her entrance, his thumb on her clit, keeping her on the edge.

“Nothing sounds better,” she whispered, a single tear escaping the corner of her eye.

With his hand gentle on her belly, he slowly, achingly slid into her. The fit was tight. Too tight, and he had to pant through it.

Tana whimpered, her core tightening around him. Her body wasn’t going to wait for him. And hell if he really wanted it to.

As her release came, her eyes changed, telling him how near her animal was, and there was no more holding back.

“Hands above your head. Hold onto the rock. Hang on tight.” Wolf smiled his crazy grin. “This is going to be a rough ride.”

Chapter Ten

This was unbelievable. Total fairytale, too good to be true, pinch yourself because you must be dreaming kind of stuff.

This man, this amazing man, who was funny and caring and sexy as fucking sin, wanted her. Wanted her for life. Forever. Until the sun went down on the Surge show. And he knew her faults. Knew her flaws and that they ran soul deep, but it didn’t matter. He wanted her still.

For the first time in her life, she let herself believe that she could be happy. That she could be loved. Seeing Renner and Bethy had given her hope, even if she’d never admitted it. But Surge… he was making hope reality.

Tana spiraled out of control as he began thrusting into her. She hadn’t known their bond would be so powerful. Not when she was a cat and he was a wolf. Not when they weren’t intended mates.

But it
was
strong. It solidified everything Surge had said. And it would never be broken. Her mate would keep her heart safe. Never betray her.

There was not a more liberating feeling in the world.

She watched him, her mouth open on a silent gasp. Strong shoulders glistening from the heavy humidity. Powerful hands that held her hips steady so he could pound into her. His abs flexed with each push, a rippled cut of pure muscle that narrowed to his waist.

“That’s right,” he breathed. “Watch me. Watch what I’m doing to you, mate of mine.”

She was riveted, seeing his hard length disappear and reappear like magic over and over again.

“
Surge
,” she whimpered.

She’d followed his instructions and held on tight, but he’d banged her halfway off the rock, and was now bracing one foot against it for leverage. And he wasn’t stopping. He was all laser beam focus and white hot determination.

Her panther fucking loved it.
Rawr, baby
.

Without warning, he pulled her up and kissed her lips, his tongue delving inside and laying claim to her mouth. His thrusting slowed to hard measured pumps, and he sucked her lips as he pulled back.

“
Mine
,” he growled.

“Yes.”

“Always mine.”

“Always.” Her claws dug into his shoulder as another binding release rocked her body.

Surge dropped his head to her neck and a thrill of excitement travelled the length of her spine. This was it. The marking. The one that would rewrite the past and give her a future.

His hot tongue licked a slow path along the curve between her neck and shoulder.

And then he bit.

Tana jerked to a still, paralyzed by the mark of her mate and his warm fluid filling her, imparting her with his scent. Inside, she could feel herself changing, aligning with him. Her soul and his, becoming one.

Her panther hissed, claws peeking out enough to slash three small marks across Surge’s shoulder.

“Fuck yes,” he boomed, releasing her neck and continuing to push into her until she’d taken everything.

Eventually he slowed, coming to a stop, but Tana clung to him, unwilling to part for even a breath.

He panted against the raw bite before licking it softly. “It’s perfect,” he murmured.

Surge tried to pull back but still, Tana couldn’t make herself let go.

“Baby girl? You okay? Did I hurt you?”

Tana shook her head. “Just want to stay like this.”

He chuckled, bringing his hand up to cradle her head. As she burrowed against him, the laughter kept coming. It was free and genuine. Happy. She knew if she looked right now, his eyes would be smiling.

Turning her face, she stared at Surge seeing her guess was right. His laugh was real this time, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

Tana kissed his jaw, letting her lips linger.

Surge quieted, running his hand up and down her back in a lazy motion. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For giving us a chance. Told you we’d be beautiful.”

“You were right.”

He tipped her face up and kissed her lips so softly she ached from it. “I love these lips. I never want to stop kissing them but…”

“We should check on Grace.”

Surge nodded. “Our girl isn’t using a single thing those assholes made until I check it first. Can you believe they weren’t even reading the instructions?”

Tana gasped in true Hollywood style. “The nerve!”

Surge grinned, pinching her butt in retaliation. “Let’s go,” he urged, pulling her carefully to a stand. “Mate of mine.”

“You sure do have a lot of nicknames for me.”

“Yep. And I’ll probably come up with a million more before our time is over.”

“You need one. How about… Long Dong Silver.”

Surge didn’t miss a beat. “Nah. I’m not a pirate. Don’t even own a fishing boat.”

“Jackhammer?”

He squinted, thinking about it. “If I was in construction maybe. Though it could work by association. And I bet you’d be all about the Jackhammer, baby. Am I right?” he said, to a few sexy pelvic thrusts.

Tana laughed, the sound filling the forest as they found their way back to DTD’s property.

“Fine. How about I just call you… my love.”

Surge quit walking and pulled her to a stop. He stared into her eyes, his expression bleeding emotion. “That’s my favorite,” he whispered.

“It suits you best,” she said, stepping into his strong embrace.

He’d never said the words, but she knew he loved her by his actions. And it was unconditional. His love hadn’t changed when he’d learned she had less to offer him. For that alone, she’d be his for eternity

***

Late night feedings weren’t what most people would call the fun part of parenting, but Tana didn’t mind them. When the house was dark and silent, and it was just her and Grace, face to face in the rocking chair, that was the definition of peaceful.

She snuggled the baby against her chest while they waited for the milk to warm. Grace cooed impatiently, but there was no screaming. She’d learned Tana would feed her, she just had to wait.

Normally, she took her back to Surge’s room where they’d set up the bassinet and rocking chair until she was old enough to sleep in the crib, but tonight they were trying a little something different.

Creeping down the hall with baby Grace cradled in one arm and the bottle in the other, Tana hoped this worked. Opening the door to the spare room, she slipped inside and was shocked to find Diz. He was asleep in a chair he’d pulled close to the bed, but his head snapped up when Grace let out a whimper.

“Sorry,” Tana whispered. “I didn’t know you were in here.”

He wiped the sleep from his eyes and sat up straighter. “S’okay. What do you need?”

Tana’s gaze went to the bed, to the woman lying there unconscious. Another two weeks had passed. The female had been weaned off the sedatives, but she didn’t wake. There was a glimpse of hope when she’d shifted from her bobcat to human. Ella was sure she’d regain consciousness after that. But then nothing happened.

“I thought it might help if I brought Grace in to visit. Well, not visit exactly. I don’t know, I thought maybe it would give the female a reason to wake up.”

“Ella says she probably can’t hear us.”

“Yeah. I know, but her animal, I bet it can sense the young.”

Diz’s brow furrowed. “You might be right. I guess it’s worth a shot.” He stood. “Here, take a seat. I need a coffee break anyway.”

He half stumbled from the room and Tana settled in the chair to begin feeding Grace.

There was no sound except the soft, rhythmic pull of the kitten’s suckling. Tana kept eye contact with the babe, until her lids started to droop. The last third of the bottle was always sleep-eating for Gracie.

While she finished the bottle, Tana’s gaze drifted to the bed. The female was still swollen and cut all over her body. Dark bruises in various states of healing speckled her skin. After nearly a month, this condition made no sense. She was healing at the rate of a normal human. It was like her cat wasn’t fighting for her at all.

They’d just have to give that bobcat a reason to fight.

Grace was asleep with left over milk dribbling from the corner of her mouth. Tana laid her carefully on the bed next to the female, keeping her hand on the kitten’s head. They’d stay ten more minutes.

And then they’d do it again tomorrow. For as many days as it took.

Because Tana couldn’t watch another shifter die. Especially one connected to Grace. She had to believe that when the woman woke, she wouldn’t break up their fledgling family.

She believed in the impossible now, and she was holding on to hope. Everything would be all right.

Chapter Eleven

“Heeeeeeeere comes the tickle bug!” Surge fake growled as his thumb and forefinger came down on Grace’s tummy. She squealed with delight, kicking her feet in the air, turning Surge’s giggle into a full-on belly laugh.

“My god,” Drake said, standing over them where they laid on the living room floor. “You’re completely and totally gone, aren’t you?”

“What?” Surge breathed through the laughing fit. “It’s fun. She likes to play. She’s not boring like
some
people
around here.”

“Did you hear that, Grace? Your daddy thinks I’m boring.” He turned his attention back to Surge, smirking. “I have a mate who says differently.”

Surge laughed. “She can’t be trusted. She’s biased.”

Drake shrugged in agreement. “True. But speaking of my mate, she sent me to tell you…” His expression grew serious. “The cat is awake.”

Drake’s words sobered Surge the same as a bucket of ice water would.

“She’s awake?”

“Yes.”

“Tana is out at the build site. I have to—”

“I sent Beast to get her.”

Surge nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” He gathered Grace against his chest, his stomach twisting with nerves.

He’d paced a lap and a half around the living room when Tana barreled through the front door, eyes wide.

“Surge.” Her tone was anxious, scared, even though she was trying to be strong.

“Come here.”

She ran to him and he pulled her close. Her hand landed gently on Grace’s head, and the child’s already drowsy eyes fluttered closed.

Surge kissed Tana’s head, using his bond to calm her as best he could. “It’ll be okay. Remember, whatever happens, I’m here.”

She nodded, her arm tightening around his waist.

The scene in the spare room was heartbreaking. It was just Ella, Drake, Diz, and the female, but the cat was weeping so hard she could barely be understood.

“Arkansas,” she cried. “Where’s Arkansas?”

“This is Arkansas,” Ella assured her. “You are in Arkansas. Cedar Valley, to be exact.”

“I told her,” Diz murmured, dragging his hands through his hair and pacing the room like it was a track. “But she didn’t believe me.”

“No,” the woman wailed. “No, you don’t understand. I need to see Arkansas.”

She was clearly delirious.

Ella looked at Drake, helpless. “I can sedate her again, but I don’t know if it—”

“No,” Diz said. “We just need time.” He looked up and saw Tana holding Grace. “The baby. Bring her the baby.”

Tana nodded, scooting close to the side of the bed where the female lay crying. Glassy eyes scanned the room, searching and searching but not finding.

But then her gaze landed on the bundle Tana held and she went still. “Arkansas,” she breathed. “She’s okay. Thank god, she’s alright. I couldn’t feel the bond anymore. I thought… I thought she was gone.”

Arkansas. Grace’s name was Arkansas.

Surge went cold with fear.
Bond
. She had a bond with Grace? But she couldn’t be her mother. They’d seen evidence of nursing on the mama kitty’s body.

The only way to bond with another shifter was by mating or parenting. Where did that leave this female?

“What do you mean, bond?” he asked carefully, stepping up to stand beside Tana.

The female’s eyes went to him, wary and afraid.

“No one here will hurt you,” Ella said. “You’re safe with us.”

The cat seemed to focus, her eyes touching on each person in the room and coming back to settle on Grace.

“Arkansas is my sister,” she rasped. “When I felt the bond break with our mother, I assumed the baby was gone too.” Her eyes welled with fresh tears. “What happened? How did we end up here?”

Ella’s response was gentle. “I think before we get into that, you need to tell us your name. And how you came to be separated from your clan.”

She nodded, swallowing hard and dashing tears from her cheeks. “My name is Destiny, and my clan is gone. We were small, the Hutch Clan from Colorado. They were decimated by a clan of bear shifters. My mom, she was pregnant with another litter, so we ran for our lives. I’d heard word that Arkansas was a safe land. That shifters didn’t war here. Is that true?”

Drake frowned. “There hasn’t been a real shifter war here since my great grandparents’ time. There was a pack on pack scuffle in the Ozarks a couple years ago, but that was over an abusive alpha. ‘Round here, we stick to ourselves and we get along just fine.”

“You have cats in your pack?” she asked, eyeing Tana.

“One, right now. Tana. She’s mated to Surge here.”

Destiny flashed a suspicious gaze his way.

“It’s not what you might think,” Tana said. “The wolves mate for love.”

Destiny frowned, cocking her head, and staring as Surge wrapped his arm around Tana’s waist.

She blinked and then continued her story. “We were in Kansas when mama went into labor. Three of the kittens were stillborn, but one survived. We named her Arkansas to remind us that we had hope. Had a reason to keep going even when things seemed hopeless. We knew if we could just get to Arkansas, we’d be safe. But I didn’t think we’d made it.”

“Cedar Valley is right on the border of Oklahoma,” Diz explained. “You wouldn’t have known you crossed over.”

Destiny shook her head. “At dusk, we were attacked by wild dogs.”

“Not shifters?” Drake asked. “And the bears didn’t follow you?”

“No. They might have, but not all the way. They wouldn’t have a reason to leave Colorado. They wanted our territory. No, these were dogs. I fought them off while mama ran with Arkansas, but there were too many so she shifted to help. Then the baby shifted, and she was easy prey. I was injured too badly, and lost consciousness. I don’t remember anything after that.”

“You and the baby have been here almost a month,” Diz told her.

“A month? I lost an entire month?”

He nodded.

“My mama?”

He shook his head sadly. “She’s gone.”

Destiny nodded, wiping tears away as fast as they fell. “What happened?”

Diz looked at Tana.

“I was driving home…” she began, her voice choked. “From out of nowhere, she ran into the road. She had the kitten by the scruff. I slammed on my brakes but she just stood there, and I was too close anyway. There was no missing them.”

“She ran into the road?” Destiny hissed.

Tana nodded, her expression full of pain.

“I… I can’t believe she did it.”

“I wouldn’t lie about something like this,” Tana said.

Destiny shook her head, frowning. “No, I mean… she’d been talking about it for weeks. About ending it. She was depressed, hopeless about bringing another baby into such a cruel way of life. I’d kept her alive by promising her it would be different here. She must’ve thought the dogs killed me.”

“I’m sorry for what happened,” Tana murmured. “So very sorry. For your loss, for the baby’s. We want to help you in any way we can. Drake has already offered to let you stay as long as you’d like.”

Surge could barely swallow as he watched everything unfold. He’d been right about Grace’s mother. He’d been right about the cats running from danger. He’d been right to fight for them. Now he hoped it’d pay off.

The wolves were ready to add two more cats to their pack, if only she’d say yes.

Destiny sniffed, her pain palpable to all in the room. “I’m just glad Arkansas is okay. And that she had someone to care for her. Can… can I hold her?”

Tana glanced at Surge, clearly worried. She was battling her instinct, he knew, because he was too.

Mine, mine,
ours
.

Jaw clenched tight, he managed to give her a small nod.

Tana carefully handed Grace to her sister, arranging the blanket so her head was amply supported.

“Hey there, little sis.” Her voice was a mere whisper. “How have you been getting along without me?”

Tana wrung her hands. “W-we named her Grace.”

“We?” Destiny frowned.

“Surge and I. We’ve taken care of her as if she was our own. We’ve…” Tana glanced nervously around the room. “We’ve bonded with her.”

Destiny’s surprised gaze lifted to Tana. “
Bonded
? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Very sure. We’d like to be her parents. With your blessing of course.”

The silence that followed Tana’s declaration was ages long. With every second that passed, Surge struggled to hold in his nervous laugh. But he’d strangle his fucking wolf if it meant the difference between keeping and losing his daughter.

“Parents,” Destiny murmured sadly. “She’ll need someone, and I’m not prepared to be a mother yet. Maybe not ever. I’m just a sister.” She looked at Surge and Tana. “You’d take care of her? Love her?”

“We already do,” Surge confirmed. His voice was rough and startled Destiny. “Sorry. I just meant… well… damn it, we’re terrified of losing her. We want you both to stay, be a part of our pack.”

Destiny nodded, looking weary. “For now,” she said. “I have nowhere else to go. And I need to see what kind of people want to raise my sister.”

Surge let out a rough breath, so relieved he could barely contain a whoop. He wanted to shout from the rooftops, jump up and down, and just generally scare people with his antics. But Destiny was still healing and she’d had enough thrown at her for one day.

“Good people,” Diz said. “You’ll see.”

“You took us in when you could have just left us to die. That tells me more about your pack than you know.”

“Thank you,” Tana said. “Thank you for giving us a chance. Wait until you see how well we’ve taken care of her. She’s a very happy kitten.”

A small sad smile appeared on Destiny’s face. “Arkansas Grace. Her name is perfect.”

As Surge watched Destiny reconnecting with her sister, he couldn’t help feeling like he’d been walloped over the head by kismet. Sometimes the best gifts came in unexpected packages.

***

“
Wooooooooo
,
son!
Get that dirt moving, boy. If it ain’t flying, you ain’t tryin’!”

Tana watched Surge as he cheered on Diz. He’d race later, but for now they were introducing Grace to her first dirt track race. They’d spared no expense on her ear protection, making sure she had the very best infant noise reduction muffs. And they stayed far enough away from the fence to make the dogs breathe easier.

Surge glanced back at them. “She asleep?”

Tana nodded, laughing as he shook his head in dismay.

“Sleeping through her first race. We’re gonna have to teach her our ways soon.”

“Give her a break, love, she’s only been alive six months. Her life revolves around sleeping and eating. Not cars.”

“Not true,” he said, pointing a finger at her. “She chose a car squeaky toy the other day at the store. A red one. She knows what’s up.”

Tana rolled her eyes. “And you had nothing to do with that, right?”

His hands went up in the air. “Not a thing. I swear.”

Tana laughed, and his eyes grew hot, the race temporarily forgotten. He stalked over to her, leaning over the sleeping baby to cradle Tana’s cheek. Capturing her lips, he kissed her long and deep, causing her knees to weaken.

Every time he kissed her like that, with reverence and promise, it reminded her of all she had to be thankful for. And she was. Boy, was she ever. She could’ve never guessed her life would be filled with so much happiness. So full. To the brim and overflowing.

Sure, they’d had rough times. And they’d have even more along the way. But Surge’s promise that they’d always go through it together had held.

And they weren’t alone. They had the pack. For backup, they had her clan. And they were going to visit Surge’s mother in the morning. Being a dad had gone a long way to helping him forgive her bad decisions. He understood how far a parent would go to do what they thought was best for their young. Their relationship wasn’t perfect yet, but they were getting there.

Even Owyn had taken to Grace, demanding he be referred to as Uncle Owyn. To which Surge countered that by calling him Uncle Badass Who Will Cut Anyone Who Messes With His Niece.

They’d shaken on it.

And they had Destiny. She’d made a full recovery from their ordeal. Physically anyway. It would take time, but she was learning how to trust the pack and how to live by their ways. There was a lot of love in that tough outer shell. She proved it every time she cared for Grace. Every time she looked at Tana with zero contempt for what had happened to her mother.

Surge broke their kiss, giving her a lazy smile. “Alright, alright. How am I supposed to set a good example for our girl when you’re over here lookin’ so sexy? Hmm?” He gripped her hip, squeezing.

“You’re setting a perfect example.” She kissed the corner of his mouth, right where his dimple was. “She’s going to know exactly what to look for when it comes to a mate. She’ll know not to settle for an asshole. That’s the best example you could set.”