The All Consuming: A Shifter MC Novel (Pureblood Predator MC Book 4) (23 page)

A collective hush of breath.

“By what wisdom do you bring this beast into our midst?” the woman asks.

“His animal is lost to him.”

“Lost?”

“He cannot change.”
 

Luz prods me with her spear.
 

There’s a long silence, then another woman speaks. Her voice is soft and melodious. “Throw him to the dark. His animal blood will bring the demons to us.”

A third voice, rough and deep. “No. We must learn from him.”

The women begin arguing over my fate.
 

Luz says nothing.

Soon a decision is reached. “Flay him for what he knows,” the first woman says in a commanding tone. “Then throw the beast to the dark.”

“I am the dark,” Luz says solemnly.

“I am the dark passages,” the Mothers answer in unison.

There’s a heavy silence, not just from Luz and the women on the dais, but throughout the entire cavern. The Scavengers have quieted. The hammers have stopped ringing. Even the children are silent.
 

“Throw the animal to the
dark
, my esteemed Scavenger,” one of the women hisses, clearly displeased at having to repeat herself.

“I hear the Bells, Mother,” Luz says, her voice soft but firm. “When I close my eyes I hear them. Ringing through my mind. Plaguing me.”

“You are hunt-sick. Rest, my child. Your mind will clear.”

“It doesn’t clear. I’ve tried
everything
. They’re always with me.”

“Perhaps the coward girl should wear the Bells,” a throaty voice booms out.

“Make her wear the Bells!” another woman shouts.

“No,” Luz says. “Not this time. No more Bells. Never again. No more…for anyone!”

I hear a wet thwack. Luz looses a tremendous battle-cry. My eyes fling open. Luz’s spear is buried deep in one of the Mother’s necks. Black blood spills from the Stricken’s wound. She’s pawing at the spear, trying to tear it from her throat but Luz leans into it, thrusting it deeper—

“No more bells!” the Scavengers lined around the chasm scream.

There’s a hissing sound as a hundred spears launch across the chasm.

The spears arc over my head and then he’s with me, the Spotted Stalker, and as the spears cut into the Mothers I leap onto the dais and pounce on the nearest Stricken. A single swipe opens her chest and suddenly her heart beats in my hand.

Spears slice through the air around me. Huge stones thunder down from the bridges above. One of them smashes a Stricken’s head in. She collapses with a heavy thud.
 

The guards, realizing they’re caught in a bloody revolt, either join the Scavengers or leap headlong into the chasm. The Scavengers shriek in fury, maddened by their long-simmering desire for freedom.

I remember what it felt like to be freed from the cage in the Cloud Temple. How my heart soared. How terrified I was, facing the unknown.
 

La Mugre
is uncaged.
 

Luz shrieks at me to move, and right as I leap from the dais, snarling and spitting, she hurls the gasoline onto the Mothers.
 

Luz grins. Strikes a match.

I shift into my Night Smoke and smother Luz in a protective embrace.

She flicks the match into the gasoline.

The Hole, ancient lair of black-blooded cannibals, erupts in flame.

Y
EAH
, I
CAN
turn the Stricken motherfuckers.
 

But it kicks the shit out me. Easier just to kill ‘em.

Nash and Blue drag me away from the screaming crew and set me down by my bike, then form a protective ring around me. No good letting the boys see me like this.
 

So weak I’m shaking. Pissing cold sweat.
 

Every muscle in my body aches. Even my hair hurts. Worst of all is the dizziness. The entire world’s spinning so fast I have to close my eyes, and then I get that awful free-fall feeling you get when you’re drunk and lie down too quick. My stomach lurches and the next thing I know I’m on my side, dry-heaving, spitting yellow fluid.

“I need to see him.”

“It’s not a good time, Lil,” Blue says.

“Oh? Well please ask Mr. One-Eight-Seven when he’d like to pencil me in. Not that there’s any rush.”

“I’m not his secretary. And besides. You’re the one who fucked off. Give the man some time. You saw what he just did.”

I raise my hand. Try and speak.
 

Let her through. You stupid fuck.
 

But the only thing I get out is a soft wheezing breath before I’m face-first in the dirt again, clutching my gut. It feels like someone’s stabbing me in the belly—

“That’s why I need to speak to him. Now. Not in a little bit. Right fucking now. You dig? Now get the fu—”

There’s a snarl and a roar and Lily cries out in pain. “You fucking
asshole
. You try that again and I swear—”

“C’mon, hun. Leave him be.”

Trish.

I spit something nasty. The pain in my gut is working its way up my chest. I think I’m having a fucking heart attack. I smack at the dirt, trying to get Blue’s attention. My heart’s beating way too fast, and the pain’s spreading up my shoulders, into my neck—

“See?” Blue says. “He look like he’s fit to talk?”

Let her through. You fucker.

“Aaron? Aaron?!” Lily shouts. “He’s fucking
dying
, you meathead. Look at him! He’s—”

The pain gathers in my neck. Drowns out all sound. Then it shoots into my mind, and fuck sakes this makes my hangover feel like a fucking pleasure cruise, and then—

Boom.

Lights out.

***

It’s dark when I come to.

Stars are out. Looks kind of nice. Blood Moon either hasn’t risen or is tucked behind the foothills. A night like it was before the end of days. Could make a guy feel nostalgic, if nostalgia wasn’t just another way of hiding from what’s really going on.

Which is: I feel okay. Not great. But okay.

Better, my bloodmate’s lying beside me. Tucked close. Sleeping.
 

We’re lying on a blue tarp in the desert. Tucked under an army surplus blanket. I smile, thinking of how she pushed her way through Blue.
 

Damn. Sparkles is stubborn.
 

I like that about her. She gets something between her teeth…

I make sure to lie real still. Lily’s chest rises and falls with the rhythm of her breathing. I look down, imagine I can see a gentle swell in her belly. Mother of my son. She’s curled in the crook of my arm, her head on my chest. I run my fingers through her hair. Gently.
 

She stirs a little. Presses closer to me.
 

Sometimes the world cuts you some slack. Gives you a moment to think, hey, thanks world, this is right fucking on. Thanks for tossing me a bone.

That’s how I’m feeling now. Thankful.
 

Just grooving on the moment.
 

Feeling damned lucky to have it.

A crackling sound makes me slowly turn my head. Three fires are burning about forty yards off. A few of my crew are huddled around the fires. Guarding us. Nash is no idiot. He’ll have even more men stationed out in the desert, waiting in the shadows for whatever’s stupid enough to try and sneak up on a Pureblood army.

I close my eyes. Take a deep breath.
 

It’s rare for me to have a moment where I don’t feel threatened. Where I can let my guard down. An apex alpha is always on task. Even when I’m with my crew, partying, blowing off steam…I still have to be
on
. They’re watching constantly. Judging me. Was that weakness? Is he slipping? Should I demand a blood challenge?
 

Motherfucking biters.
 

My MC has my back, sure. As long as I remain strong.
 

But start to slip, even a little…
 

Alone with Lil there’s none of that bullshit. I can just be me. Maybe I feel like shit today, cuz I just turned a Stricken’s blood red. Fine. She can let me feel like shit. She doesn’t want to be alpha. Not in the slightest. I can relax around her. Let her in.
 

The One We Answer To.

I used to hate leading. Used to resent the crew under me. Thought it was their fault I was so stressed all the time. The pressure.
 

I’ve realized it wasn’t my crew stressing me out.
 

It was only me. I wasn’t ready.
 

Now I am ready.
More
than ready. I know I was born for this. Know I’m stronger than any motherfucker out there. Even the sack of shit First Fallen. But you know what? Now that I know I can do run as alpha…it’s losing its charm.
 

We’re gunna win this war. Not a doubt in my mind.
 

A predator has no room for doubt.
 

But after?

What then?

I think of rolling with my crew. Claiming a territory. I got good people on the ruling council. Blue and Nash and Mia. They’ll steer me clear of most of the bullshit.
 

But will I ever feel this way again?
 

Calm? Peaceful?

We can love someone for who they are. And we can love them for how they make us feel. I love my bloodmate for both.

I imagine taking off with Lil. Fuck knows where. Into the sunset. Leaving the bullshit behind. My friends, me crew, my title. Passing the Prez badge to Nash, dropping my cut in the dirt, nailing the throttle and never looking back.
 

It feels good to think about.
 

But will it happen? Fuck knows.

Grass is always greener.

I wonder if Lily and I would work if it was just her and me. She only knows me like this…a predator Prez. A murderous outlaw. Would the luster fade? The honeymoon joyride? Does she love me for who I am, or it it wrapped up in her love of the road, freedom, the life?

I look at Lil as she sleeps. I think she would.
 

Stay with me.
 

Even if I abandoned the MC.
 

But I don’t
know
.
 

My animal’s feeling mellow too. Something about being close to Lil does this to him. Chills him right the fuck out. Like how when she took off and he went wild, slashing into me, demanding to be freed so he could track her. The thought makes me wonder: what would I be like without this woman?

Less than I am now. That’s for certain.

I don’t want her to wake up. Not yet. She ran from me. Took off with our unborn son in her belly. Not that I entirely blame her.
 

I fucked up. Chickened out.
 

I should have known she’d never stay in Phoenix—

I’m looking down at my bloodmate, her face relaxed in sleep, drinking in the sight of her, her soft skin and full lips, marveling at how beautiful she is, my cock stirring as I think about kissing behind her ears, down her neck, cupping her naked breast in my hand, running my thumb over her nipple while she sleeps…and how good she feels right now, her smooth, soft, giving skin pressed close to mine, our warmth mingling…how we’re meant for each other…how
right
it feels when we’re alone…when suddenly Lil’s eyes pop open and I’m staring at her like a dipshit.
 

A lovesick puppy.
 

Quick as lightning, she reaches out and grips my swollen cock. Squeezes me so hard I gasp. Her eyes glitter gold.
 

“Asshole,” she says, sounding like she means it.

I try to speak but she squeezes me again, my cock tingling red-hot, my balls aching as need builds deep in my groin.

“Fucking. Asshole. Dog.”

She squeezes my cock with every word. She’s not being gentle. She’s fucking digging her claws into the side of me—

A rumbling snarl escapes my lips.

Then she releases me. Almost
tosses
my cock out of her hand, harrumphs, lays her head back on my chest and begins running her sharp fingernails over my tats, sending little electric pulses flickering through my body.

I lie very still. My cock’s fucking throbbing. The blanket’s tented up. I kind of lift my leg to hide it—
 

Lily harrumphs again, smacks my knee down. “What? You shy all of a sudden?”

I swallow hard, feel my Adam’s apple bob in my throat. Try to think of something cool to say. But all I can think about is gripping my bloodmate’s wrists and sliding onto her, my weight pinning her down, my cock opening her hot folds, settling deep into that secret joy we share—

Lily wriggles a little, lays her leg over mine so I can feel her pussy pressed to me. She’s so hot…a star going supernova.

“You miss that?” she asks.

I get it together enough to shrug. Bitch wants to play?

“Liar,” she says, still stroking my chest but now working lower, her fingers glancing across the peaks and valleys of my abs, then still lower, so close I almost raise my hips to try and bring her hand onto me again.

“Tease,” I say, my voice thick.

“Not teasing. Not interested.”

“Who’s lying now?” I growl.

Lily’s head flies up. Her eyes burn with hurt and anger.
 

Okay, bad move. She’s genuinely pissed.

“You think you’re such hot shit, Aaron. The One We Answer To? Well fuck that. You might have my animal under your thumb. But you don’t have
me
.”

“I fucked up,” I say. “I’m sorry.”

Lily lays her head back on my chest. “
If
I fuck you tonight, it’s because we’re great in bed. That’s all. Yeah?”

“Would you stay with me? If I quit the MC?”

Lily draws a quick breath. Her hand, which was tracing slow circles across my pecs, freezes. “What do you mean
stay
with you? We’re not even together. There’s make-up sex and break-up sex. You should get up to speed on what this is.”