This woman, this she-wolf, tied him up so tight in knots Matthias didn’t know which way was up and which way down. Moments ago he’d been so damn angry, so hurt that she would willingly lead him into a vampire’s trap, and put the rest of his group at risk. Now just her scent had the ability to drive the anger out of him, and replace that emotion with something just as hot, just as consuming, and far more satisfying.
Using her hair to pull her closer, he kept his gaze on hers. Her eyes were so luminous, so wary, yet so hungry for him. It felt like an aphrodisiac, making him throb in time to the pulse that beat strong and regular in the sweet indentation at the base of her throat.
He touched his lips to hers, heard the delicious gasp from her lips, felt the heat from her body and gave himself up to the experience. He cupped her face, her skin so soft beneath the rough pads of his fingertips. With the slightest pressure, her mouth opened beneath his, and his tongue slid in to stroke against hers. For a moment, that was their contact, mouth to mouth, his hands cupping her head. Then her hands grasped his arms, and instead of pushing him away, they slid up over his biceps to his shoulders. Her fingernails scraped up his neck and through his short hair in that way that instantly set a match to the passion he was trying to control.
Licking, gliding, caressing, the heat built between them as they exchanged long, drugging kisses. He trailed his hands down to her chest, his gaze flickering briefly over her shoulder. He wanted to explore her body, wanted to learn all her secrets. He walked her backward until they reached the broad trunk of a tree, and she leaned back against it, her nails scraping over his scalp as she tugged him closer.
He bent down and lifted her, resting her hips at the same level as his. God, she was amazing. Beautiful. Intoxicating. Again and again, their tongues dueled in a carnal battle. She made him feel so hot, so achy, his arousal so damn tight against his pants. He pressed his hips into hers, feeling her heat through their clothing, craving it. His hand lowered to her breast, and she moaned. He drank in the sound, his mouth gliding over hers, tasting her like a fine wine. She arched into his caress, and he molded his hand over her breast, cupping it, his thumb strumming over that perky little tip.
Rolling his hips in a hypnotic rhythm, his heart pounded in time to the pulse throbbing in his cock. He stroked the rounded curve of her hips, slid his hand under her buttocks and lifted her against him. He sank into that sweet spot between her thighs that seemed just as hot for him as he was for her. He pumped his hips against her, hearing the catch in her throat at each press of the hips, each slide. Matthias wanted their clothes gone. Now.
He dragged his lips from her mouth and kissed his way down her neck as he carefully lowered her legs to the ground. Leaning back with his hips still pressed to hers, Matthias tugged at her jacket. She leaned forward, and he slid it off her shoulders and down her arms.
“Yes,” she whispered, her hands caressing his back roughly, as though her urgency matched his.
He kissed her again, tongue licking at hers, then parted from her just long enough to whip the T-shirt she’d just donned up and over her head. She grabbed him and pulled him close again, kissing him frantically now, moaning as he cupped her breasts, the lacy bra a frustrating barrier to the bounty he knew she concealed.
Her hands trailed down from his shoulders, sliding over his chest, and he shuddered at the feel of her hands on his body.
And then she stopped.
She pulled her mouth from his, looking up at him before her gaze dropped to the chain under her hands. Then she pushed him away.
“You skunk,” she exclaimed, and punched him on the chest. He backed up, not because that paltry blow made any real impact, but because he was so stunned by her change in mood.
He gaped at her as she shoved at him, and he backed up farther, his hands palm out. “What?”
She bent and retrieved her T-shirt, pulling it on so quickly, so brutally, it looked like she was boxing with the fabric. She finally stuck her head through the right hole and glared at him.
“You skunk,” she repeated, contempt lacing her tone. “We are so not doing this.”
“But I liked doing this. So did you.” What the hell? How had they gone from trying to get into one another’s pants to this?
She waved her finger at him, apparently lost for words for a moment, then she clenched her hand into a fist. “There is something really wrong with you,” she snapped, and started to storm off.
Her words hit him like a shower of glass slicing through his heart. So hot, so fierce was the pain, he actually staggered back a little. She knew. Somehow, just with a kiss, she knew. He swallowed, dragging a hand over his face as she stomped between the trees. How? How had she sensed what none of his pack had? He sucked in a breath. Well, obviously knowing was a turnoff. Her rejection stung, an effective cold wash over his desire. His lips firmed. See, this was why he never got involved with the opposite sex. It just hurt too damn much.
He would have liked for them to just keep walking in opposite directions, and never come into contact again, but even though he was humiliated, hurt and ever so angry, he couldn’t let her walk off. At least, not in that direction.
“The camp is back that way,” he yelled, pointing off to his right. She glanced over her shoulder, frowned, then changed direction. He stayed where he was. If he wasn’t so angry, so humiliated, he’d tell her that her shirt was on inside out.
* * *
Trin sat under a tree, tying an elastic on the end of her braid as she watched Matthias speaking with his lycans. Jax was playing some sort of hand-slapping game with one of the guardians. The lycan winced every now and then, and even from here Trinity could tell he was letting the pup win a few rounds. Finished with her braid, she idly lifted a twig that lay next to her boot. Upon his return to the camp last night, Matthias had ordered them to sleep apart. He’d lain down near the pup, and some guardian named Kai had taken up watch over her. Dawn had finally broken after a sleepless night, and the sunlight shone through the branches of the Douglas firs. She watched as Zane asked a question, and Matthias shook his head, his short hair a golden cap in the sunlight.
But not the least angelic. Trin snapped the twig she’d been playing with, anger and shame still thrumming through her veins. She wasn’t stupid. That was a wedding ring he wore around his neck. It wasn’t common, but it wasn’t unheard of for mates to exchange rings. The problem was hanging on to them through a shift. She picked up another twig. Her father had worn a ring, as had her mother. Her mother’s ring was lying in a box padded with cotton wool back in her homely little cave. Her father’s ring—well, that had disappeared, probably swept away when he...died. Her vision blurred.
She knew the significance of that ring. She knew the commitment, the loyalty, the fidelity that was supposed to go along with it. The twig snapped again, and she tossed the broken wood over her shoulder. She reached for something else, something stronger. Her father had loved her mother to the point of distraction. It had been a legend in her pack, the alpha prime tamed by his she-wolf. She sniffed. The ring symbolized love. Devotion. It was a promise, a vow, a pledge—love without end.
And Matthias had pledged that to another woman. The stick in her hand snapped, and she dropped it at her feet. How could he kiss her like that, when his heart belonged to another? How could he make her feel like they were the only two on earth, that he was solely focused on her, when he had a she-wolf warming his den?
And why the hell did she care so damn much? She rubbed at her forehead, trying to ease the tension. He was Alpine. A.L.P.I.N.E. She was Woodland. He wanted to annihilate her pack. She’d tried to have him and his guardians killed. It wasn’t a good basis for any kind of relationship.
There was a general hubbub as the guardians gathered nodded in agreement over something, and Zane and Matthias made their way over to her.
She looked up, squinting against the sun as the guardians stood in front of her. Matthias lowered himself to one knee beside her and spread out a large document at her feet. A map. Her anger cooled in her veins. Here we go, she thought.
His gaze was brittle, cold, remote—such a contrast to the heat and desire of the night before.
“Show us where your den is,” he said, his hand holding down the map, his tone cool.
She shook her head. There was no prevarication, no attempt to coax the information out of her, but even if there was, she wouldn’t give him that information.
“No.”
He rested his arm across his knee, his eyes narrowed as he stared at her, assessing her. “Why not?”
She laughed at his question, then realized he was being serious. “Uh, because I’m not going to get my pack killed.”
He tilted his head. “There doesn’t need to be any killing. We’ll go in peacefully.”
She tilted her head, mirroring his angle. “Seriously? You think I’d trust you?” She’d be ten times a fool if she did.
“You have my word,” he responded simply. “We will only act to defend ourselves. We’re only interested in Rafe.”
“And what about the Woodland guardians? So many like your own?” she asked sharply. “What of them? They will do everything in their power to protect our alpha prime. You go in there and they will react to an attack, and lycans will die.”
“Rafe killed another alpha prime. Do you realize how disrespectful, how offensive that is?” Matthias asked, his tone silky soft. “Samantha Alpine is pregnant with his pup. She’s lost her partner, a child has lost his father and we lost our leader. He will pay. Do you condone what he did?”
Trinity dropped her gaze. No, she didn’t. What Rafe had done—well, it was abhorrent to her, and she knew most of her pack felt the same. Primes held a position of honor, of respect, and killing one was the highest of insults. But Rafe was a strong alpha prime. He had loyal guardians who would protect him at the risk of their own lives, purely because he was their alpha prime, and they’d sworn allegiance. The rest—well, they were probably more scared than loyal. Rafe was a formidable enemy, and if you were insubordinate or rebellious, then he made it clear you were his enemy. She’d had to learn that lesson the hard way. He didn’t act with the same code of honor as her father when he had been alpha prime. She still had to respect him as her leader, no matter how distasteful. “I’m loyal to my pack.”
Matthias looked up at Zane and shrugged. “Take the boy.”
Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I told you, my word is my bond. If you don’t help me, I told you I’d have young Jax taken back to Alpine.”
Panic rose, and she met his gaze. “You can’t,” she said quietly.
“Ah, but I can.” He started to roll the map up.
“But—you’re taking him away from his family,” she argued.
He shrugged as he rose. “From what you tell me, it’s not much of a life for him, what with his mother pining and all.”
“Is Alpine going to be any improvement?” she asked sharply as she gained her feet. He handed the map to Zane and folded his arms, his muscles bunching with the movement. Damn it, none of these lycans seemed interested in wearing shirts, despite the cool autumn air.
“I won’t lie to you. There are some at Alpine who want all of Woodland dead for what happened to Jared, and a Woodland pup would be a focus for their anger.” He shrugged. “Or else he’ll be largely shunned—but not my problem. I’m here to get Rafe.”
Tears burned beneath her eyelids at his words, and she looked away. To be abused for a crime you didn’t commit was unfair, unjust and unacceptable, but to be shunned—to be ignored, to be made to feel like you’re invisible, like you don’t matter, that people would be happier if you were just gone—that was something she couldn’t abide. She knew how that felt, and wouldn’t wish it on anyone, let alone a curious, happy little pup like Jax. She lifted her gaze, watching as Zane beckoned the little pup over, took his hand, and started walking off into the forest, toward the Nightwing border.
“It’s up to you, Trinity,” Matthias said, tilting his head to the side. “Jax or Rafe. I know which one I’d choose.”
“This isn’t fair,” she whispered as Jax disappeared from view, so innocent, so naive, so vulnerable and defenseless against a pack that would hate him on principle.
“Tell that to Samantha Alpine,” Matthias responded roughly. “Better yet, tell that to the pup that will grow up without a father.” He laughed softly, the sound so bitter, so cold in its humorless tone. “There you go, Jax and Jared’s pup have something in common—they’ll both grow up without a father because of Rafe Woodland’s actions. Interesting that death is the common thread between our packs.”
Trinity hugged herself, goose bumps chilling her at his insight. This wasn’t fair. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Why the hell had Rafe not told the trackers that there was going to be a parley in the forest? If she’d known, she would have taken them on a training run through the Woodland den’s tunnels, not out into danger.
But what choice did she have? Jax was sweet and innocent, and should be playing in his home forest with his pack mates. Rafe was big enough and mean enough to look after himself. Sure, the pack would never forgive her for leading the Alpine guardians to the home den—but they wouldn’t forgive her if she let one of their young be taken. She sucked in a breath. She couldn’t allow Jax to be abducted, but just like laying a false trail, she could convince Matthias she was doing as he wanted—and hopefully give Woodland some warning in the progress. Did they even know there was a squad of Alpine guardians on Woodland territory?
“Call him back,” she whispered, her eyes still on the spot in the forest where Jax and Zane had disappeared.
“Sorry, not sure I heard you. Do you agree to my terms?”
“I will take you into Woodland,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “Bring Jax back.” She turned to look at Matthias, her eyes somber. She understood why he was doing what he was doing. She still kind of hated him for it.
He must have read something in her glare, because he stepped closer. “I’ll call Jax back as soon as I have your word—no more stunts like yesterday afternoon.”
Trinity’s lips twisted into a half smile. “What makes you think I’ll keep my word?”
Matthias’s eyes sharpened, and he moved even closer, as though to make sure she heard what he had to say. “Because I have to hope that not all of Woodland is dishonorable,” he said quietly, intently. “Prove me wrong, Trinity. Prove to me that there is still some decency in your pack.”
She refused to respond to his challenge. “Call Jax back.”
“Your word,” he insisted smoothly.
“Fine. No more vampires,” she muttered, and her eyelids fluttered. “Please,” she whispered, “call him back.”
Something flickered in his gaze, an awareness, a curiosity, and he slowly nodded. Pursing his lips, he whistled. It sounded like a bird call, but not one that she recognized. An answering trill was heard in response, and her shoulders relaxed. They were on their way back.
“I might be doing this under protest, but let’s get some things straight,” she said, needing to show some resistance, just so that he knew she wasn’t completely submissive. “Number one, I shouldn’t be kissing you. Number two, you so shouldn’t be kissing me. Number three, the sooner we remember we want each other dead, the happier everyone will be that order is restored in the world.”
Matthias’s eyes gleamed. “Deal. But just so there is no repeat of yesterday, you and Jax will remain separated.”
“No, please don’t,” she said, shaking her head as she hugged herself. She needed to hug the boy, reassure both of them that he was here. Safe. Cared for.
Matthias smiled grimly. “Don’t worry, he’ll be safe enough with me.”
She shook her head. An Alpine guardian, even a guardian prime, wasn’t the same as family. Sure, Matthias would make sure Jax was physically safe, but it wasn’t his physical safety that now concerned her.
“He’s with a rival pack, Matthias. He’s a kid. He can’t be ignored, or merely tolerated. Someone needs to watch him.”
“I’ll watch him.”
“No, he’s—he’s a curious kid. He’ll wander off, he’ll get up to mischief, especially if he feels he’s being ignored, or like nobody is watching him. Like he’s invisible...” her last word trailed off, and she bit her lip. She didn’t want Jax to feel invisible, or that he wasn’t cared for.
Matthias’s eyes narrowed, and he gazed at her intently for a moment. “I’ll take care of him,” he told her quietly.
She shook her head. “You don’t unders—”
“I know how to look after a pup, Trinity,” Matthias interrupted, almost roughly, then turned and stalked away.
Trinity blinked at his retreating back. She’d touched a sore point, she realized belatedly, although what the hell it was, she had no idea.