"Um, I'm on the team now, Red. Job hazard."
"Damn. Well, promise you'll be more careful."
"Avoid magical blasts from the bitch witch. Check."
"Well, not that bitch witch. I killed her."
"Good," she said fiercely. "Wait-how's Sariel?"
"Let's help you on with your clothes and I'll check."
Together, they got her dressed. She was still shaky, but insisted she was fine. He helped her limp over to where everyone surrounded the faery. Everyone but Kalen, who stood several yards away, his head hanging low, looking like he'd lost his best friend.
Aric turned his attention back to the prince. Melina, Mac, and Nick were crouched beside him, Melina holding a compress to his shoulder. Blood the color of a brilliant sapphire soaked the towel, and Aric's own blood ran cold. How the fuck were they supposed to replace Fae blood?
Noah and Sam, the heavyset nurse, came around the corner fast, wheeling a stretcher. Nick and the nurses lifted Sariel on the count of three, placed him on it, and strapped him down.
"Let's go!" Melina shouted. They set off at a rapid clip.
Nick turned to the Pack, leashing a barely controlled rage that Aric had never seen before. "Someone cover the witch's body until we can deal with it."
"I'll dispose of it," Kalen offered quietly. When no one objected, he turned Beryl's body to ash. Then the ashes swirled and vanished.
"Good riddance," someone muttered. Sounded like Jax.
Nick sighed. "Meeting in the conference room. Right fucking now."
Aric felt sick. He should've been faster, blocked the shot meant for the prince. Now all they could do was pray that he would survive.
Before he headed off, Nick paused to look Rowan over. "Maybe you should get checked out?"
"No, no. I'm just sore and I'll be bruised. Nothing that won't heal."
The boss nodded and walked off. The Pack trailed him, no one celebrating Beryl's demise. A good, gentle being they'd come to think of as one of their own was fighting for his life.
In the conference room, someone shut the door behind them. No one bothered to sit as Nick began. "How the fuck did Beryl get out of Block T?" he asked, his voice low and ominously calm.
For a long moment, there was silence.
"I let her out," Kalen admitted, voice catching. "God, I'm so sorry-"
"Why? Did she seduce you, or was it Malik?" There was no question that one of them must've gotten to the Sorcerer.
"Not her. Malik."
You could have heard a pin drop.
Nick's gaze was hard. "He gained control of your mind long enough to make you let her out?"
"Yes, sir," Kalen whispered. "I think Beryl spelled me, back at the house where we caught her. My defenses are... crumbling. I can't keep him out for very long at a time."
"Jesus," Aric said with a shudder. He wouldn't want some Unseelie creep fucking around in his brain.
Nick cursed viciously, rubbed his eyes. "Okay. We'll figure this out. At least now we have Malik's human name-Evan Kerrigan. Grant is tracking him down, gathering intel. With any luck we'll have his location and a complete profile soon."
Just then there was a knock, and Mac stepped inside. Her gaze went briefly to Kalen, and Aric saw real agony there, quickly covered as she addressed the group.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we knew you'd want word of Sariel. We believe he'll recover." Sounds of relief went around the room. "But he was already weakened from some health issues stemming from being in our world, so healing will take time. He's stable, though, so I wanted to pass the good news along."
"Thank you, Mac." Nick gave her a tired smile.
She returned it and left. Without looking at Kalen again, who stared with longing at the place where she'd just been.
Nick spoke to the group again. "All right. I need to speak to Kalen. We'll adjourn for now and discuss this mess later."
Nick led a shaken Kalen out, and Aric didn't envy him the coming meeting. The Sorcerer was in for a long session, no doubt. Aric wondered what this would mean for his future in the Pack. He liked the kid. Hoped like hell things would turn out okay for him.
Selfishly. Because if the Sorcerer turned on the Pack, gave himself to the control of the Unseelie king...
They were screwed, down to the last man.
A hand settled on his shoulder, rubbing him gently. "What do you say we go for a run, and escape for a while?" Rowan suggested. "Just you and me?"
"I think that sounds like a fantastic idea."
Smiling, he took her hand and led the way out of the building, across the field to the trailhead. This once, he was going to break Nick's rule. Because he needed to run with his mate. Make love in the sunshine.
Outside, they shifted and took off for the woods. Letting their wolves loose, they ran for miles before finally slowing near a stream. They padded over and took a long drink, slaking their thirst. Then he nipped playfully at her rear end, yipping as she nipped back and started chasing him. For several minutes they simply allowed themselves to be free, just a pair of wolf mates frolicking in the sun-dappled afternoon, splashing in the water.
God, they needed this time together. To just be. So they took it, playing until Aric shifted, laughing, and gathered his mate into his arms.
"Shift, baby."
She did, and he was suddenly holding an armful of beautiful, naked woman. Skin slick, water droplets clinging to her hair. She smiled at him and his breath caught in his throat. Rowan was everything he'd ever wanted and never allowed himself to believe he deserved.
Until now.
"I love you," he said, cupping her cheek.
Her lips parted and her eyes sparkled as she took his face in her hands. "I love you, too. So damned much."
Then there was no need for words. Scooping her up, he carried his precious burden to a grassy spot beyond the bank and set her down carefully. She held out her arms and he went into them gratefully, pressing her down, covering her sweet body with his. He captured her lips, kissed her senseless while he plucked at a nipple, already pert from their romp in the stream.
"Make love to me," she gasped.
"That's what I'm doing, baby. It's what I'll do for the rest of my life," he whispered.
Then he moved between her legs, pressed his cock into her moist heat. Slid home, and began to move in a slow, sensual rhythm. In and out, making sweet love to his mate.
And that's what it was. Love.
The pressure began to build, spreading that delicious ache through his balls and to every nerve ending. His entire world narrowed to the two of them, connected in a ritual older than time. Only one thing remained that they hadn't done, and it was something he wanted badly.
"Bite me," he panted, increasing his strokes. "Claim me! I'm so close, and I want to come when you do."
"Are you sure?" She hesitated, but he saw the light of excitement in her eyes.
"God, yes!"
Gathering her close, he pressed her face to the curve of his neck and shoulder. Her hot little tongue lapped at the spot for a few seconds-
And then she struck.
Her fangs sunk deeply into his flesh. A moment of bright, searing pain was quickly replaced by a bolt of ecstasy so intense he almost passed out.
"Ahhh!" His shout echoed through the treetops. His balls tightened and his cock exploded, and he came hard enough to see stars. His body shuddered as he emptied himself forever, vaguely aware that she was convulsing around him as well. After a few minutes, he came down to earth, still holding her close.
"Oh my God, that was amazing," he said breathlessly, kissing her soundly. "Can we do that again sometime? Not today, because coming that hard again in the same day might kill me!"
She giggled, burrowing into his chest. "Sure. But only if you promise to bite me first."
"Damn, who knew that biting thing was some sort of super sex stimulant?"
"If the other guys knew, they'd all be out scouring the countryside for their mates."
Grinning, he pulled out carefully and rolled to his back, taking her with him. She snuggled in and rested her head on his chest, making him feel about ten feet tall.
"I hope they all find their mates," he said, squeezing her tight. "Because nothing on earth compares to this."
"I agree. I believe a person can overcome anything, with someone special by her side. Someone made just for her."
"Or him." He kissed the top of her head. "Finding you sure proved that to me."
"I love you, wolf."
"I love you more, my baby."
They remained there in their private glen for a long while. To heck with rules, just for today.
Yes, there was a storm coming. And it threatened to consume them all in its fury.
But for now, he planned to spend every spare second loving his tough, beautiful mate.
Starting right now.