Chapter 9 - Thea

Tannen slid a plate of pancakes in front of me. "I'm not the best cook," he said. "But at least I didn't burn these."

"Thanks," I said through a yawn. Even though I had gotten more than enough sleep the night before, exhaustion still permeated my bones, the events of the last couple days finally catching up to me. Or maybe it was because it had taken me a while to get to sleep, mostly because I couldn't stop thinking about Tannen.

He had slept on the couch. I didn't know why it disappointed me so much. Part of me kept hoping he would open my bedroom door at some point during the night and slip under the covers with me. I'd imagined him holding me flush against him, his hand trailing up my stomach before reaching one of my breasts, pinning me against him as he kissed my neck from behind.

I stuffed a large bite of pancake into my mouth, willing my pounding heart to slow down so I could get a grip. This was Tannen we were talking about, the guy I'd been trying to keep at arm's length for months now.

But it felt more difficult to keep doing that. He'd listened to me when I told him we needed to save the others. Even if he hadn't liked it, he'd agreed to let me help. He'd saved me on the auction block. Our conversation the night before between the barbs had shown me a side of him I hadn't noticed before.

I wanted to say it was the claiming bond that had changed my perspective on him, but I wasn't sure if that was the case. Had he really changed? I couldn't shake his words from the wedding reception. Could I even trust him after something like that?

"How're the pancakes?" he asked, bringing me back to reality.

"They're good. Thanks."

"Of course."

A silence hung between us. Not uncomfortable, but one that seemed filled with charged tension. The longer it lasted, the stronger that charge grew. My breathing shallowed, the pancakes speared to my fork forgotten.

Tannen broke the quiet, scattering the tension to the wind. "I was going to give the Silver Wolves a call in a bit and give them an update," he said. "Do you want to be on the call?"

I nodded. "What were you doing before the Silver Wolves?" I asked, suddenly curious. I didn't know why I cared, but I wanted to know more about him.

He frowned, shrugging. "I focused on tech," he said. "Programming and things like that." He cracked a grin. "Actually, that was how I got involved in the Silver Wolves in the first place."

I raised an eyebrow. "You can't leave me hanging like that," I said.

"I like leaving my women hanging," he teased, his eyes sparkling.

It should have annoyed me, but I felt a flutter in my stomach as heat flooded my body. I tried to hide it by giving him an annoyed look that made him laugh.

"All right," he said. "I might have hacked into some of the Wolf Council's databases when I was a teenager."

My mouth dropped open. "And you're still alive?" I blurted out.

He glanced down, poking at his chest. "Looks like it," he said, flashing another roguish grin that shouldn't have been nearly as disarming as it was. "But it was a near-miss. Honestly, I was just fooling around. I wanted to see if I could do it. Next thing I knew, Malcolm was knocking on my door."

Just the thought of Malcolm looming at my doorstep was enough to make me shiver. Tannen nodded, as if able to read my thoughts.

"I thought I was about to get shredded to bits then and there," he admitted. "Except instead of sending me into an early grave, he asked me a few questions, then gave me an ultimatum." He held up two fingers in emphasis. "Either go to jail for the rest of my life." He dropped one finger. "Or join the Silver Wolves and work with him." He shrugged. "Guess he was impressed with me being able to get through all the firewalls."

"And you took the jail option, I'm guessing?" I quipped.

One side of his mouth quirked upward. "Hence the orange jumpsuit and the fact that we're talking in a jail cell," he fired back. "Honestly, it was a bit of a lifeline. I was kind of wandering around aimless, didn't really know what the heck I wanted to do with my life. When he gave me the offer, it gave me a sense of purpose I hadn't had earlier. The guy changed my life. There's no telling where I would have ended up if he hadn't taken a chance on me. I owe him and the Silver Wolves a lot." He blinked, brow furrowed as if surprised. "You know, I don't think I've told anyone that story before."

"Well, then I'm flattered." Heat flooded my face as my stomach clenched. I pushed away from the pancakes and stood, filled with a nervous energy.

"You should be." He moved to stand in front of me. "It takes a lot for me to open up to someone."

"You say that to all the girls?" I asked, though the words came out quiet, almost breathless.

He shook his head. "Just you."

When had he gotten so close? His scent surrounded me, making me dizzy, exciting my wolf. I wanted to get closer, to push my body against his, to feel his muscular arms around me. Looking into his eyes, I could see something that might have been lust or longing. I hadn't realized just how close we were until I realized I could count every one of his eyelashes.

His hand reached out, and I knew it was moving to my cheek, that any minute he would swoop in and kiss me, and that, despite my best judgment, that's what I wanted. But before it could happen, his phone rang, breaking the spell.

Taking a step back, he pulled out his phone.

"It's Mark," he said, as if nothing had happened. He pressed the answer button and put the phone on speaker. "Hey, Mark, you got both of us."

"Hey, Tannen. Hey, Thea. I've got Malcolm on the phone, too," Mark said. "I told the Silver Wolves what happened."

"All of it?" Tannen asked, glancing at me.

"Oh, yeah," Malcolm said. "Rand wasn't looking forward to explaining the situation to Astrid. You're probably going to get a phone call with some very colorful language in it."

"I'll worry about that when I get the call," Tannen said. "In the meantime, tell me you've got some good news."

"We got the girls," Mark said. "A few of them were exhausted and didn't look like they'd had a good meal in a week. But they looked all right for the most part."

"No issues there?" I asked.

"Nope. No one was coming after them, no one's come looking for them."

"Thank god," I said, shoulders sagging.

"Don't be too happy about it," Malcolm warned, his tone grim. "It means they're probably still after you. You guys are going to have to be careful."

Tannen and I looked at one another, and I could read in his face he was thinking the exact same thing I was. We didn't have that time.

"We need to get back," Tannen growled. "And soon."

"Let's try and get a ping on their location before you come back," Malcolm said. "I don't want you two wandering into a group of them by accident. I agree, though. We're running out of time to get rid of that claiming bond."

"Do you know anything yet?" Tannen asked. "I've been trying to do research, but the internet's been spotty."

"We're still looking," Malcolm said. "I've got a few books I'm running through. Wish you were here. You're the one with the knack for finding whatever information we need."

"Wish the internet weren't so spotty here," Tannen grumbled. "Otherwise, I'd try and help more."

"Once those guys are fully off your trail, you can head back here and make up for lost time," Mark said. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

Tannen nodded. The three of them spoke for a bit longer, mostly about logistics and things like that. I watched, but it soon became clear that I wasn't focusing on what they were talking about. I just stared at Tannen, the set of his sharp jaw and the piercing intelligence in his blue eyes. His scent wafted toward me, making my wolf stir with interest. After a bit, he hung up.

"Doing okay?" he asked.

"Yeah." I looked away quickly, hoping that he hadn't noticed just how much I had been staring. "Yeah, everything is fine."

The phone rang again, saving me from having to say anything else. I saw the caller ID and snatched the phone from Tannen's hand.

"I'll take this one," I said before putting the phone to my ear as I walked into the other and closed the door. "Astrid?"

"Thea! Thank god you're okay. I've been so worried," Astrid's voice was like a soothing balm after everything that had happened. A sort of touchstone. "Now, put that piece of shit on the phone."

I paused. "You know, then?" I glanced over at Tannen through the glass door, hovering in the corner of my vision as he watched me intently.

"Rand gave me the general gist. He figured I'd want to know. I want to talk to him."

"It's not his fault," I said. "It's not as though we had many options."

"I don't care," Astrid said. "He should have figured out another way. One that didn't involve a claiming bond."

"He saved me, Astrid," I said. "If it wasn't for him, I'd be married and claimed by a random creep who just happened to be the highest bidder." I decided not to mention the fact that Tannen was also the reason I had run off into the woods in the first place.

"Claiming bonds are dangerous," Astrid said. "Tannen's a good guy, but everything becomes more intense. All emotions. Both good and bad."

Again, I looked over at Tannen, whose eyes hadn't left me since I'd picked up the call. Heat flooded my face as I realized I didn't want to say this next bit in front of him. I held up a finger, telling him to wait, before darting into the bedroom and closing the door behind me.

"I'm already starting to notice it," I admitted, keeping my voice low so he couldn't hear anything. "A couple of days ago, I would have said I pretty much hated the guy. But now I'm starting to think he's not all that bad. He actually seems like a good person, even if we don't agree on everything."

A long pause followed. I glanced at the phone to make sure we hadn't lost the connection. Finally, she said, "I don't think that's how claiming bonds work."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You know Evelyn got forcibly claimed, right? She still hated the guy. That never changed."

My brow furrowed as I processed the information. I shook my head. She had to be wrong.

"Regardless, we'll get it taken care of," Astrid said. "I've got to get going, but I'll stay in touch, all right?"

"I'm sure you will," I said through a smile.

"Be safe," Astrid said. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Oh, and Thea? Tell Tannen that if he does anything to hurt you or lets anything happen to you, I'll cut off his balls and feed them to him."

I bit back a snort. "Little excessive, don't you think?"

"Maybe. The point still stands." There was a short pause. "Be careful, all right? About all of it."

"You know me. I'm the soul of caution. Normally."

I hung up and walked into the main room where Tannen was waiting. He raised his eyebrows. "Was that who I think it was?" he asked.

"Astrid," I confirmed.

Tannen smirked. "She threaten to claw my throat out or my guts?"

"Feed you your balls, actually," I said.

He laughed, a rich, deep laugh. His eyes met mine, glittering with something that made my heart thud faster and my toes curl. For the briefest of moments, I thought back to what Astrid had said about claiming bonds. Surely that's all this reaction was, right?

"In that case, I promise I'll be on my best behavior," he said.

***

I didn't realize how much I hated being cooped up until I was forced to stay in a secluded cabin for several days with no one to talk to but a guy I hated. Even worse when said guy has stepped out and left you all alone with nothing but your thoughts.

I paced back and forth, every inch of me screaming to get out, to do something. I couldn't stand this feeling of waiting, of not knowing. Up until now, I'd always had the option to run through the woods or wander through town. Here, there wasn't even a TV to keep me from going stir-crazy.

Tannen had been gone for an hour. Part of me had begun to panic, wondering if something had happened to him. I imagined Damien or one of the others had caught up to him and attacked him. Maybe even killed him.

I groaned, shaking my head to clear the image. One, it wasn't true, and two, that was just the mating bond talking. It was making me weirdly protective of him. The thought of anything happening to him sent my wolf snarling, ready to attack whatever imaginary thing was threatening him. But he was fine.

Glancing outside, I could practically smell the fresh air, hear the birds, feel the wind brushing against my skin. I'd been trapped in a basement for a day, and since then, I was stuck in a safe house. It wasn't exactly an upgrade. I needed to get out. To feel the fall air and enjoy the woods, even if only for a few minutes.

Hesitating, I bit my lip, wondering if I was about to make a huge mistake. Going outside was risky, and I knew Tannen wouldn't be happy about it. But the longer I stayed in here, the more annoyed my wolf got, and the more agitated I felt.

I couldn't stay here. I had to get out. Besides, I'd be out and back in no time. Tannen wouldn't need to know.

Fresh air wafted into my nose the instant I cracked the door open. I breathed in deep, the smell practically intoxicating. I pricked my ears, listening for anything amiss. When the only thing I heard was birdsong, I pushed the door open more fully and stepped outside.

The crisp fall air was like a drug. I breathed in deep, sighing. Moving deeper into the woods, I continued to wander, keeping my ear out and staying close to the safe house. Just getting out for a little bit helped ease some of the anxiety and clear my head. It felt like everything had blurred together.

As I continued wandering, I let my mind wander as my wolf enjoyed the fresh air. After everything that had happened, it felt so peaceful just to—

A branch cracked behind me.

I froze, barely breathing, heart hammering. I sniffed the air, expecting the same scents that had assaulted my nose when Viktor had found me. Except there wasn't any scent. Whoever it was had covered it. There was definitely someone there, though. Slowly, I pulled out my knife, ready to attack.

I turned and nearly screamed.

Tannen stood right behind me, arms folded. Anger and frustration radiated off him in waves, mixing with his scent. He glared at me.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, coming to stand directly in front of me.

"I was just going out for a walk," I said.

"While there are a bunch of assholes coming for you?" Tannen demanded. "For us? Don't you think this is a little reckless?"

"I know how to handle myself," I retorted.

"Oh, you mean like how you handled yourself when they came for you the first time?" he fired back.

I glowered at him, mouth opening and closing in rage, partially because as much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. I had messed up, and those guys had caught me off-guard.

"That isn't going to happen again," I said through clenched teeth.

"I know it isn't," Tannen said, coming even closer. His enticing scent wafted over me, tempting me as he leaned in. "Because I'm not letting it happen again. You and I are tied together now. I have to protect you, because if I don't, there's a chance I'm throwing my own life away. I don't know how strong these claiming bonds can get, but I've heard enough stories to know that I can't let anything happen to you."

"How selfless," I said dryly. "Glad to know you only care about me because your own skin is at risk."

He ignored the jab. "Are you coming or not?'

Folding my arms, I considered just plopping down where I was and refusing to move. I didn't like being bossed around. But one look at his face told me that he wasn't in the mood, and as annoyed as I was, I wasn't going to push his buttons right now. Grumbling in irritation, I gave a short jerk of my head and followed along after him.

"Why did you go outside in the first place?" he demanded once we got back into the safe house.

"I wanted to get out," I said.

He frowned, giving a "go on" gesture that indicated he knew I wasn't telling the whole truth.

I groaned, heat flooding my face. I didn't want to admit this next part. "I needed to get away from your scent. It's been driving my wolf crazy. I was hoping that getting away from it for a bit would calm her down."

That was a tame way of putting it. His scent everywhere meant he was constantly on my mind, images of what I wanted to do with him playing over and over in my head.

"Did it work?" he asked.

I scowled. "Do you really want the answer to that?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't."

I hesitated, then finally capitulated. "No. Not at all."

He chuckled. "At least I'm not the only one, then."

I froze. "What?"

He snorted. "Trust me, it's been hard being this close to you for this long," he growled. "Trust me when I say I've been struggling to be on my best behavior."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. The whole physical attraction, thanks to the claiming bond, has been a real blast."

"It wasn't just the claiming bond, though, that's made the whole thing infinitely harder," he said. Those intense eyes stared into me. "I've been attracted to you from nearly the moment I met you."

I blinked, my body stiffening. I began to feel warm all over. "You have?" I asked, though not without a bit of skepticism.

He tilted his head. "You really think I would have gone over to Rand's all those times when I could have just called him?"

My heart jumped into my throat as his words swam in my head, circling, making my wolf stir. I tried to take them in at arm's length, to hold them away from me. But it seemed that the harder I tried, the more those words consumed me.

"Even if I'm not your normal type?" I asked, my mouth dry.

He shrugged. "I can't help it." He gave a sly smirk. "And for some reason, you've always been immune to my charms."

"Immune might not be the right word," I admitted, my face heating. "More like I refused to let myself fall for them."

His eyes sparked with interest, and he moved closer to me.

"Does that mean you're attracted to me as well?" he asked. "Because all this time, I've gotten the sense you hated me."

"Look at you." I gestured up and down, though with how close he had gotten, it seemed impossible not to brush against him as I did. "You have to know the answer to that."

He paused, inches from me. His hand went to my hip. I gave a sharp intake of breath as electricity rushed through me, a fire growing between my legs.

"Maybe," he said. "But I want to hear you say it."

I could barely breathe. All the air seemed to rush out of my lungs as I looked into his face. His blue eyes glittered, the longing there obvious.

"All right," I said. "I'm attracted to you. I have been for ages. Who wouldn't be?"

He grinned. "See? Was that so hard?"

He was close. Too close. All I could think about was how easy it would be to close the final gap, wonder what would happen if we did.

"This is a really bad idea," I breathed, even as the yearning continued building inside me.

"Probably," he agreed. His hand moved to my arm, caressing me as lust burned in his eyes, radiating off him. "But I'm game if you are."

Every rational part of me screamed that this was a horrible idea, that I needed to stop this now and walk away. Except I was tired of being rational. After everything that had happened, what I wanted now was release, an escape.

I wanted Tannen.

"All right," I said.

That was all he needed. With a snarl, he slammed his lips against mine. His fingers tangled themselves in my hair as he shoved me against the wall, pinning me in place. Pleasure raced through me, sparks flying as my mind went blank, reveling in the sensation of his lips on mine. Something I'd imagined for so long, a desire I had shoved back into the corners of my mind since I'd first met him.

One of his hands moved to my hip, slipping inside the hem of my shirt. When his fingers brushed bare skin, I stiffened. His hand vanished.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, color rising to my cheeks. "I'm fine. It's just… I've never… you know." It took all my power not to look away out of sheer embarrassment.

He blinked, looking me up and down. "You're seriously a virgin? He wasn't lying?"

I hesitated, color flooding my cheeks as I looked away.

Strong fingers gripped my chin and turned my head so I was looking at him again, drowning in his eyes.

"It's okay," he said. His thumb stroked my lips, sending new spasms of pleasure running through me. I hadn't realized such a gentle touch could elicit that strong a reaction, but it sent my wolf into a frenzy. "I'll be gentle. Anytime something hurts, just tell me. Okay?"

I couldn't remember how to speak, so I simply nodded.

"Good." He grinned, his eyes full of lust. "In that case, I'm going to make sure you have such a good time, you won't think about anyone else ever again."

His lips brushed my neck, sending shivers racing down my spine as he held me in place, mouth trailing upward slowly, tantalizingly. I let out a soft moan, a delightful pleasure sparking between my legs. His teeth tugged my earlobe, and I groaned again. Before I knew it, his mouth was pressed against mine with an intensity and hunger that hadn't been there earlier.

As his mouth continued to claim mine, his fingers brushed against the hem of my shirt again, slipping beneath so calloused hands brushed against bare skin. His fingers trailed upward slowly, as if he were drawing it out or teasing me.

I sucked in a breath as his hands pushed my shirt up, moving with that teasing slowness. I wanted him to move faster. I wanted him to rip it off. I hadn't realized how badly I had wanted all of this—how badly I had wanted him —until this very moment, and now it couldn't happen soon enough.

He tossed my shirt across the room, his own following shortly after. I bit my lip as I took him in. I had seen him shirtless before, but this felt different. I admired every line of his abs, the perfect V there, and I wondered how it would feel to have him pressing against me.

Still taking his time, he reached around me to unclasp my bra, freeing my breasts. He eyed them, drinking them in greedily. "Those are incredible," he said.

"I've always kind of thought they were too big," I admitted.

He shook his head, hand reaching out to cup one of them. "No. They're perfect."

His thumb flicked across my nipple, and he grinned as my back arched and I let out a soft moan of longing. His other hand went to my jeans, pausing, giving me enough time to tell him to stop. All I did was groan, a plea for him to keep going.

My jeans fell to the floor, and I stood in front of him, naked, trying not to feel self-conscious. I'd never done something like this before.

He drank me in, a covetous, hungry smirk spreading across his face. Without a word, he undid his jeans. I sucked in a breath when I saw his cock, fully erect and larger than I'd expected. Just seeing it drove my wolf into a frenzy and sent a new need running through me, the pleasure between my legs flaring at the sight as he closed the gap, mouth going to mine again, holding onto me as he guided me toward the couch.

He lay me down, hovering over me as his hands caressed me, sending sparks wherever they touched. His hand traced my stomach, stopping when his fingers slid between my thighs. One finger ran along my slit while his thumb pressed against my clit. I gasped, moaning and melting beneath the touch.

He grinned, that wicked, delightful smirk playing on his lips. "You like that?" he asked. I nodded, my eyes fluttering shut.

His finger circled my vagina, then slipped inside, his thumb continuing to toy with my mound. I groaned, writhing beneath him, the pleasure and need like nothing I had ever felt before. With a smirk, he leaned forward, his lips against my ear.

"I'm going to fuck you now," he said, sending new spasms of excitement racing through me. "But only if you ask for it."

"Please," I begged. "God, please."

He straightened, smirking as his fingers slipped out of me and he clambered on top. He pressed the tip of his cock against my vagina, taunting me, telling me exactly what was going to happen and giving me the chance to say no if I really felt uncomfortable. I kept my eyes locked on him, not breathing, just waiting.

He pushed inside me, going slowly in a way that only seemed to enhance the sensation as his cock began filling me. I gasped. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before, but everything about it set me on fire. It felt right. I felt completed in a way I never had before. Then he began pumping, and my mind went blank again.

His thrusts got faster and faster, my pants and moans growing heavier and heavier. I knew I wouldn't last much longer. I could feel myself teetering on the edge of oblivion, about to shatter at any moment. The sensation was both overwhelming and the most incredible thing I had ever felt.

My back arched, my toes curled, and all I could do was fixate on the sensation of his cock in me. I could tell I was close, that I wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, the sensation so powerful that—

One more thrust, and I fell into oblivion. I screamed as the pleasure washed over me, the dam bursting, more intense and more pleasurable than I ever could have imagined. I never wanted it to end. My hips bucked as my body cried out in relief and ecstasy. A moment later, I felt his cock spasm as his cum shot into me.

His thrusts slowed, our pants growing more ragged. We glanced at one another, and I could tell we were both thinking the same thing.

Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.