Share
Chapter 22
Kaugnay na kabanata
Pack Chapter 23
Dana cried into the pillow, her tears soaking the fabric. How could she not when she heard Nathan bellowing? A part of her ached to go to him, to clasp him in her arms and say all was forgiven. Another part of her feared that, by caving to him, he'd think nothing of hurting her again in the future. She covered her ears with her hands, unwilling to listen to his obvious anger and distress. A light touch on her shoulder made her thrash wildly, her flailing fists striking flesh. She rolled and opened her burning eyes, expecting to see Nathan, come to hunt her down and beg her forgiveness-or force it. Instead, she found herself wrapped in John's arms, his soothing presence a balm to her turmoil. Her tears flowed anew. He dragged her onto his lap as she sobbed, stroking her hair and rocking her as she wept for the twelve years of her life that she'd wasted running. Wept for the life she could have had if she'd only looked past her fears. Wept because she couldn't stem the pain t
Pack Chapter 24
Dana slept spooned with John-my mate-after making love a second time. Held in his protective embrace, the hum of their bond almost visible, she discovered inner peace. Even better, she'd lost her anger and hurt over Nathan's actions of the past. After talking with John, she could more clearly understand why Nathan had done it, and she regretted her jealous reaction of the previous day. Now here's to hoping he's not too pissed about me marking John first. Even if he was, she'd practice patience. They'd both hurt each other, and the time had arrived for it to stop. She loved Nathan, and he loved her. The past needed to be pushed aside in favor of the future, a bright future with her back in the heart of a pack and surrounded by love-both the mental and physical kind. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize John had woken until a firm poke against her backside announced his ready state. She wiggled against it. "Minx," he growled in her ear, tugging the lobe with his tee
Pack Chapter 25
Nathan groaned as he rolled in his bed, his head throbbing painfully from a hangover to end all hangovers, but even more strange, his jaw and face ached as well. What the fuck happened? Fragments came back to him: the fight with Dana-another fuck-up in his courtship of her. He'd owe her an apology for acting like such an ass, something he should have done the night before instead of sending John straight into her arms while he turned to drinking beer. Lots of it. He recalled deciding to get sloshed once he realized John and Dana were making love and then mated. A pang of hurt, tinged with some jealousy, hit him. He'd truly wanted to be first, but instead, he'd allowed his stubborn nature to send another man to her when she was vulnerable. The rest of the evening was a blur as he'd drowned his pain in alcohol. But it didn't explain his sore face. He rolled out of his bed, a bed he didn't remember staggering to, and stumbled over to a mirror. He let out a low whis
Pack Chapter 26
Sitting in a dark movie theater with a mate on one side and a man she planned to mate with on the other proved interesting. Make that titillating. Dana held the popcorn bucket on her lap, and every time they dug into the buttery box, she couldn't help wishing their hands were diving for a different snack. The darkness thankfully hid her blushes, but it couldn't stop her arousal. John draped an arm over her shoulder and bent to whisper, "Are you okay?" She turned toward him and leaned in close, but instead of speaking, she kissed him. His body went rigid for a moment before he kissed her back. When she moaned against his mouth, frustrated that he wasn't stripping her for more, he pulled back, his breathing ragged. "Behave. We're in public." Dana made a face at him and slumped in her seat. A hand brushed her thigh from the other side, and she peered sideways to see Kody watching the screen as his hand flattened itself on her thigh then began sliding her skir
Pack Chapter 27
Dana giggled quite a bit as they hunted for their clothes and brushed them off. Her cheeks heated a few times at her mates' ribald remarks, but surprisingly, even now that the ardor had worn off, she didn't regret a thing. In the space of less than a week, she'd gone from hiding from a mating situation to becoming part of a polyamorous group with three men. Ain't love grand? They crowded back into the SUV with Dana sitting on Kody's lap in the front seat and John holding her hand and driving with his free one. A need to remain close to them imbued her, especially as the sky darkened and they approached the compound. Once again, she feared Nathan's reaction, especially once he realized she'd marked Kody. I've got to stop letting my hormones make my decisions because, in truth, making things right with Nathan should have come before her frolic and claiming of Kody. But nestled in his arms, his lips brushing the top of her head, she couldn't muster the strength to regret
Pack Chapter 28
Nathan dropped his duffel bag by the large oak in the clearing where, a lifetime ago, he'd made love to Dana. It seemed only fitting to him that he make his stand in the place where his life had changed and shaped him into the man who now needed to escape. The irony of the situation didn't escape him. She ran because she didn't want to be shared, and now it's my turn to run because my jealousy couldn't handle it. But he wouldn't leave until he could assure himself of her safety, and that meant clearing out the rogues. A part of him screamed at himself for stupidly coming to face them alone. How many times had he drummed into his pack the need to not leave the compound at night unless they were in large groups? What made him think he alone could handle the menace? Sure, he possessed more strength than his brothers of the fur, and he had the unique ability to half shift into a beast-an ability that only the ones with the most control could achieve--but still, he was only one wolf a
Pack Chapter 29
It didn't take long for John and Kody to assemble the wolves in the pack to search. Nathan hadn't taken a vehicle, which meant they could track him. They set out on foot to search for his trail. Well, Dana was on foot. The rest of the males adopted their wolf shapes. Dana trusted them to smell anything before it attacked. She had a different plan in mind. Nathan had tried to obscure his trail, and the wolves they'd brought along split into groups of four to follow the false leads. Dana trusted her instincts-and a tugging on her heart. She ended up leading John and Kody. Her pace through the dark forest increased as certainty of Nathan's location blossomed in her mind. Approaching the clearing where her whole life had changed, she slowed, not because of the voices she could hear but because of the sense of wrongness-evil-permeating the air. She walked carefully, lest she give away her presence, all the while straining to hear the conversation. What she did hear made th
Pack Chapter 30
Nathan held Dana and marveled that, after everything that had happened, she still wanted him. She'd saved him, not just from his monster of a father but himself. Nathan set her down and, when John cautiously approached, dragged him in close for a hug, a quick one. They were naked, after all. "Thanks for coming, brother," he whispered. Kody had no problem with a naked hug, and he tackled the two of them in his enthusiasm. "Woo! The terrible trio back in action again." It was only when they realized that Dana watched their naked huddle with twinkling eyes and a smirk that they broke apart with a lot of throat clearing and back thumping. "Um, guys, where did Roderick go?" Dana's hesitant words made them all whirl and peer, only to see that not only had Roderick disappeared, but the rogues had slunk off too. The question she wondered was did Roderick get up on his own, or did the rogues carry off their leader? The rest of the pack took that moment to show up,
Pinakabagong kabanata
