I slide one of my hands between our bodies to rub her clit. Immediately, she tightens against me again and I respond by biting her shoulder hard.
“Nash!”
“Come for me, Red. Come for me, Scarlett. Baby. I need to feel you come. Come. Now!”
Thrusting hard into her one last time, my orgasm overtakes me and I feel Red squeeze me as she comes, too. Her body tightens as she comes on my dick, taking all of me, taking her pleasure.
Finally, we collapse together on the bed, bodies entwined, hearts sated.
“That was…wow,” Red murmurs.
“I know.”
Rolling so we’re once again lying side-by-side facing each other, I kiss her softly. Stroking her hair, I watch as Red calms down, closes her eyes, and slowly drifts off to sleep.
I wish sleep could come as easily for me, but despite our lovemaking, the truth is that my heart is heavy. When Ryder warned me that someone might be trying to tear the pack apart – to tear me and Red apart – I knew he was telling me the truth.
I’ve been sensing something for days, something wrong. Things have been growing more tense with the pack, which is unusual. Normally, when a new Alpha takes over a pack, things grow less tense as time goes on. The shifters get used to the new policies put in place by the leader and gradually things find a new normal.
That’s not happening with The Silent Canines.
Instead, my mate has become more restless. I’ve become more restless. The wolves have become more restless.
And that can only mean trouble.
Three
Red
When I wake, Nash is in the shower. Rolling over, I stretch lazily in bed, then climb out to join him. Last night was a rush. While I went to bed sad, lonely, and stressed, I certainly didn’t fall asleep that way. The sex we had was intense. It was good, deep. I feel bonded to Nash. The two of us have a lot to face on our journey together, but something tells me that everything is going to be just fine.
I head into the bathroom and join him in the shower. He takes me roughly from behind, pressed against the wall. We both come, crying out from the intense pleasure, then reluctantly finish washing ourselves before we have to face the pack.
“I can do this,” I whisper to myself. “I’ve got this.” Staring at the mirror, I take a long, hard look at myself. My long, dark hair is pulled back in a loose braid and the dress I chose shows off my curves without making me look fat. At least, I think it makes me look good. Chances are the rest of the pack won’t agree, but I can’t do anything about that now.
Besides, why would their opinion matter, anyway?
The only thing that matters is Nash and he thinks I look great.
Nash hums as he dresses quickly in jeans and a t-shirt. Then, when we’re both ready, we head out to meet the pack. It’s early, but Nash and Ryder both thought it was important to talk about the new policies they want to implement as quickly as possible.
When we reach the main lounge, most of the pack is gathered. Tessa, I notice, is toward the front of the group looking perfect. She’s dressed, thank dragons, but she’s wearing the sluttiest outfit I’ve ever seen. Images of Grease flash through my mind as I take in her long, skin-tight leather pants and her cropped leather shirt. Her flat belly is fully on display. The only thing missing is a naval piercing, but I know the wolves usually don’t wear them. Most shifters prefer not to wear jewelry since it can be tricky to shift while they’re wearing it. Sometimes the jewelry will pop out and be forever lost. In other cases, bad cases, the jewelry can actually be absorbed into their body and surgery will be required to remove it when they shift back to their human forms.
Either way, most shifters prefer to keep their jewelry to a minimum. I spot a few wearing bracelets and necklaces, but no pierced ears or noses.
Tearing my eyes away from Tessa, I manage to find a spot to sit on the edge of one of the couches. Nash and Ryder confer with Thorn, one of Nash’s best guys, before Nash steps forward and clears his throat.
“Silent Canines,” he says. “Thank you for gathering.”
The wolves raise their throats in a sign of submission to their alpha, but are otherwise silent. Nash nods and they lower their heads to a normal position. One of the most interesting things to me as the only human in the group is this ritual
. They don’t do this during casual conversation, but when Nash wants to speak formally, the wolves behave in a certain way.
Part of me wonders if I’ll ever figure out all the behaviors of wolves. As soon as I figure out some of their rituals, they have another I need to learn about. Maybe someone should have given me a book. I could use something like The Human’s Guide to Being a Wolf’s Chosen Mate or Spicy Shifters: How to Blend in When You Completely Stand Out.
The wolves watch Nash now, waiting for him to speak.
“Over the past few months, things have been rough for all of us. Trust me: I know. Unfortunately, under the poor leadership of the former Alpha,” Nash looks around, but no one says anything.