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MAC ROARED WITH LAUGHTER and as the members of his team spilled into the mouth of the cave, he grabbed her. Lifting her completely off her feet, he kissed her long and hard. Savoring her taste, he finally pulled his mouth from her lips. He chuckled. “And you would, too, wouldn’t you?” This woman who had come so unexpectedly into his life absolutely captivated him. His life would never be dull with her in it. Now all he had to do was complete the mission, get all of them home safely, and away from each other before the Blood Moon rose, all while desperately needing to fuck this woman blind. Life was just fucking grand.
Embarrassed, Hannah balled up her fists and hit him in the chest. Hard. It still didn’t faze him. “You could at least pretend that hurt,” she groused. He continued grinning at her. “Put me down.” She huffed out the words so hard, her bangs ruffled.
He did, letting her slide slowly down the length of his body. When her boots touched the soft mulch cushioning the floor of the cave, her body would have continued heading south if he hadn’t held her upright. His touch...hell, just the proximity of so much male testosterone set off all her nerve endings and made her weak in the knees. Wet heat pooled low in her body.
Polite coughs reminded them of their audience. She figured every man in the cave knew what her body craved. Scarlet, she buried her face in Mac’s chest. He smirked at his men over the top of her head even as he wrapped her in his arms.
“Cut that macho shit out.” Her voice was muffled by his shirt but everyone heard her.
The men just grinned back at their Alpha. Mac laid a soft kiss on the top of her head. “You need to eat something and then you can rest here.”
She pushed away from him. “What do you mean rest here?” She gave him a hard look. “I am so not staying in this cave while you guys go gallivanting about the countryside.”
Young Danny glanced at Sean. “Gallivanting? Do people really talk like that?”
She turned around to glare at the younger man. He gulped and ducked his head as Sean chuckled.
“I guess she does, Danny boy.” He looked at the couple. “She does need rest, Mac.” His eyebrows waggled. “And I do mean rest.”
Hannah flushed crimson as Jacob spoke up. “There is no shame, daughter. It is good that you desire your mate so much. These others, they are just envious. Even after sixty some years, when I have been away from Tala?” A slow grin emphasized the twinkle in his knowing eyes. “Even the grandchildren know not to call for several days.”
She forced her mouth to stay closed. That was way too much information. Sex was just not something discussed in public, especially not sex so up close and personal.
Jacob's face returned to its normal stoic expression. “You have much to learn, daughter, and not much time within which to do so. Even now your body is adapting and changing to our ways. The desire will not go away. It will only get stronger the further you get with your pregnancy.”
Hannah sputtered. “Oh, great. Let’s just tell the whole fricking world. I screwed the gawddamned capital A Alpha and he’s so fucking puffed up because, according to you, I’m having a puppy. And now because of raging hormones or whatever, I’m turning into Slutty Sex Girl. Fine.” Mac tried to touch her. She whirled and her fist caught him on the point of his chin. The blow actually staggered him back half a step. “Just call me uber-bitch because you are so not touching me ever again. I am a grown adult woman. I control my body. Period. End of discussion.”
She stalked back into the main body of the cave, sat down on Mac’s bedroll, and promptly burst into tears. Her body ached for Mac’s touch—actually, physically ached. She was so wet with wanting him that she might have to change clothes. Without warning, what little food left in her stomach rebelled. She managed to make it to the alcove before she puked up her guts.
Moments later, Mac knelt next to her pressing a cool, wet cloth to her forehead. “I’m sorry, baby,” he crooned as dry heaves racked her body. Wolf pregnancies were never easy and if Hannah carried a male child with the wolf gene, it would only get worse. He didn’t want to think about the odds of Hannah carrying their child to full term. When she could finally lean up against him with no further ill effects, he wiped her mouth and kissed her forehead. “You really do need to lie down and rest, Hannah.”
“This isn’t me,” she whispered, a tear squeezing out of the corner of her eye to trickle down her cheek. She brushed it away, the flick of her fingers angry yet vulnerable.
“I know, baby.”
“I’m an adult. A fully competent woman. I don’t fall apart in a crisis. I don’t cry and get hysterical.” She drew in a ragged breath. “What the hell have you done to me?”
He kissed the damp corner of her eye. “I’ve fallen in love with you.” She thumped his chest with her fist. He grinned down at her. “Is this where I’m supposed to say ‘ow’?” She hit him again, as hard as she could. He continued to grin. “Hannah, you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You are smart, brave, and ballsy as all get out. I couldn’t have picked a better mate and mother for my children if I'd gone looking.” He pulled her into his lap and cradled her head against his shoulder. “Only a few women would have made it this far. Most would have fallen apart yesterday when you were captured and beaten. You didn’t. Any other woman would still be huddled in a corner having the screaming-meemies after what occurred this morning. You aren’t. Sean and Jacob assure me that your emotional reaction to all this is extraordinarily calm, all things considered. They want you to know that your physical reaction is completely ordinary. I’m sorry you're embarrassed, baby. No one here is doing it intentionally. It’s just the way we are. Our senses are—”
“Yeah, your senses are,” she cut him off. “I’m just...” She swallowed hard and then a dry chuckle grated out. “I guess overwhelmed would be too mild a term.”
Mac let out the breath he’d been holding. “The men don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Hannah. Believe it or not, they are almost as excited about this turn of events as I am. I can promise you that any one of them would lay down his life to protect you.”
She rubbed her chin against his chest, unconsciously seeking to touch his skin, though his tee shirt remained stubbornly in her way. God, but she craved the feel of him. She sighed and his arms tightened around her automatically.
“You need to lay down for a bit.” Not waiting for her acquiescence, he stood up in one graceful movement, still cradling her in his arms. He strode out into the cave and set her down gently on his bedroll. “If I’d had a choice, I would have done this completely different.”
Hannah bristled. Choice. Yeah, there was that word again. They didn’t have a choice. He'd told her he had fallen in love with her but she didn’t believe him for a New York minute. It was too quick. He didn’t know anything about her, or she him. Love had nothing to do with their situation. Lust. Lust and hormones. That’s all it was for him. She rolled away from him, giving him her back. And that’s all it was for her, too, if she was completely honest with herself.
Mac forced down the hurt that knotted in his chest. He had to give her time. He touched her on the shoulder, his hand barely brushing the cloth of her blouse. “I’ve got to meet with the men to brief them about tonight. Come on out when you feel up to it. I know food is the last thing on your mind but you'll need some sooner than later.” He stood up and strode toward the mouth of the cave. Without turning around, he added, “I am sorry, Hannah.”
The Wolves waited in the small clearing outside the cave. They’d been field-stripping their weapons and checking ammunition packs. He studied each man in his unit, reading the body language. Only Sean looked up.
“Morning sickness?” The medic paused his inventory of the medical supplies in his pack.
“Yeah.”
Sean returned to his task, ignoring a sharp click near his ear as Lightfoot shoved a clip home in the M25 sniper rifle he carried. The weapon used two types of clips. Had he been going in strictly as a sniper, he would have loaded the five-round clip. One shot, one kill. The clip held four more than he’d actually need. However, he was providing high cover for this mission. That meant the twenty-round clip and several more loaded on an ammo belt for backup. They expected a hot firefight.
Nakai honed a combat knife on a whetstone. The edges were already sharp enough to shave with in cold water, but the rhythmic motion steadied him. Danny hunkered on his heels drawing designs in the dirt. This wasn’t his first mission with the wolves but he was nervous. Mac knew the feeling. This one could turn to shit in a heartbeat.
He squatted next to Lightfoot and pulled the GPS unit from one of his cargo pockets. The other men watched, waiting expectantly. “We hit the compound at oh four hundred. With luck, they’ll think we’re here to hit Zekerija so he and his guards will have already vacated the premises.”
“What happens if Tornjak is already dead?” Lightfoot's voice reverberated with deadly intent.
Mac stared at his second-in-command for several heartbeats. “Depends on how he died,” he replied cryptically. Tornjak was one of theirs. Their mission was to free him or erase his remains. He nodded to Lightfoot. “High cover.” His second blinked in agreement. “Nakai, you and Danny have our back trail, and will cover Sean and I when we come out.”
Sean grinned. There were things besides medical supplies in his packs—explosives and shaped charges just some of the surprises. In addition to being the team medic, he was also the demolitions expert.
“What about me?”
Five startled gazes turned to stare at Hannah. Four of them turned wary and waited for Mac to say something.
“You’ll wait here. We’ll pick you up on the way to the extraction point.”
“No.”
That one word hung frozen in the air between them.
Mac choked on his first response, took a deep breath and tried to reason with her. “Hannah,” he began.
“No,” she barked. “I will not be left behind to twiddle my thumbs.”
“Yes, you will.” His voice remained deadly calm. “I will not risk my men or this mission because you feel the need to prove yourself.” He glared at her, fury etched his face. “I will not risk you...or our child.”
“Prove myself?” Hannah was spitting mad. “Oh, no you don’t, fur face. You are the only macho creepo around here. I don’t have to prove a damn thing to anybody. I am going, just as was originally planned. And that’s an order, Sergeant Major.”
His eyes blazed with golden fire. “You. Are. Not. In. Charge. Major.” He bit out each word, his hands opening and closing into fists at his sides.
He spat out her rank with so much bitter irony in his voice she actually took a step backwards. Subtle movement on each side caught her attention. Lightfoot and Sean had shifted almost imperceptibly. They were now in position to insert their bodies between her and Mac should something occur.
Hannah jutted her chin at him. “I will not be left hiding in this godforsaken place.” She swallowed hard remembering how she’d felt waking up the day before to find Mac gone. A small shiver skittered through her at the memory of her beating. Closing her eyes, the faces of the men she'd killed swam before her and her stomach roiled. Choking down the bile, she asked, “What happens if you don’t come back?” She waved her hand in the general direction of the other men. “If they don’t come back?” Her voice quivered and she hated that the sound revealed her fear. She planted her fists on her hips and glared not only at Mac but all the men, hoping to cover her terror with bravado.
“She can come with me.” A noncommittal shrug accompanied Lightfoot's calm statement. “That was the original plan. If need be, I can send her ahead to the pickup zone while I cover you.”
Mac started to tear his second a new one but hesitated long enough to take a deep breath to calm down before he did something completely stupid. “We need to eat and get some rest before we do anything,” he finally said. “We move out at oh two hundred.” He glared at Hannah before turning on his heel and stalking away from the group.
She took two steps after him before Lightfoot grabbed her arm. They both heard the growl from the edge of the woods and he immediately let go. “It would be better for all of us if you stayed here tonight,” he said, both his words and his voice blunt. “He needs to focus on the mission and he will not be able to do so if you are in danger.” He left unspoken the thought, Or if you are near one of us.
Hannah stared at the spot where Mac disappeared into the woods, so angry she wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. Did it occur to any of them that she might be in more danger if she stayed here alone? The thought of being abandoned in this wild place was almost enough to make her hyperventilate. Good grief. She was a soldier; she could find her way back to civilization. But what would happen when she did? Even if there was an American embassy in whatever city she made her way to, she had no identification, nothing to prove she was American but her word. This was a white ops mission. Even her boss would deny her existence.
The men drifted back into the cave, leaving Hannah alone. She found a boulder and sank down beside it, using it as a backrest. If she stayed right there, they wouldn’t be able to sneak away and go without her. She wouldn’t put it past Mac to do just that. As the sun filtered through the trees to dapple her face, she relaxed. Her eyes drifted closed as the emotions and physical exertions took their toll. She dozed off within minutes.
Mac found her sitting against a boulder. Her eyes were shut and she looked sad, even in sleep. A cold lump lodged in his chest. He didn’t want her anywhere near the upcoming operation, but the thought of leaving her behind, unprotected, almost paralyzed him. He couldn’t detail a man to stay with her for two reasons. One, his team was small and each man had a specialized job to do. Second, the thought of another man alone with her would eat him alive. Jealousy was an ugly emotion. He was still trying to decide what to do with her when she stirred in her sleep.
“No,” she mumbled. “Won’t come back.”
He settled beside her and touched her cheek. “Yes, I will,” he promised.
“No,” she argued, shaking her head. Still asleep, she mumbled, “No. Alone. Can’t be alone.” Her hands clutched at her belly. “Can’t.”
A single tear trickled down her cheek and he caught it on his fingertip. He held it to the light and marveled at the prism effect, as brilliant as a diamond. He smiled. That was Hannah. His Hannah—a diamond in the rough. He really was falling in love with her and suspected that he’d started the plunge the moment he’d laid eyes on her in Captain Harjo’s office. Lord, was that only three weeks ago? No wonder she didn’t trust him, or this thing that bound them so tightly. If he'd been strictly human, he wouldn’t trust it either. Her pregnancy further complicated matters. Wolf pregnancies were never easy and the chance of miscarriage was ever-present. He couldn’t risk Hannah and the baby. He wouldn’t. The cold lump in his chest turned to an icy fist. He had no choice. He’d have to.
