Chapter Nine

J aryn looked up as Shaun entered his office and sat in the chair across from his desk. "You ready for this?" Shaun asked.

"I think we're as ready as we'll ever be. We've gone over these plans so many times, I see them in my sleep."

"I'd expect your dreams to be filled with much more enjoyable things than the details of this operation."

"You know, sex isn't all I think about. I have pack details to keep up with, various business projects… speaking of which, I need to get out to the site and check the foundation on the McGuire project. Then, lest I forget the various family obligations. Charlie has this huge science fair thing to work on, and my mom and dad asked if I would come fix their Eco Cleaner. Don't get me wrong, I love my mate. Since she came into my life, I couldn't be happier, but life is a lot more complicated than one roll in the sheets after another."

Shaun leaned forwards and braced his elbows on his knees. "Look, Jaryn—I know we all place a lot of responsibility on you. But you have to admit you willingly shoulder a lot of that burden alone. I am your business partner, as well as your Beta. Use me, that's what I'm here for."

"Are you saying you'd like to go out and wine and dine the clients?"

"Hell no. We both know if you gave me that task, we'd lose more business than we gain, but you could let me take over the books. I know you hate doing that. Let me handle this business with the pack's chalet. You can interview for a manager, and I'll deal with getting the actual structure up and running. You already drew up the plans, and it's not as if I can't track you down if I have a question. As soon as we take care of this ASC investigation, I recommend that you and Nicole take a vacation or spend some quiet time with your family away from the pack lands. Charlie is going to go away to college before you know it—stop worrying about being a third parental unit and simply be his big brother. Take Nicole home to see her parents, whatever."

Jaryn sat quietly and watched his best friend for a moment. Shaun was right on some levels. Jaryn knew he didn't delegate as much as he could, but he was Alpha. All the little things he took care of both as a business owner and pack leader were his responsibility. That's why he'd set up the pack offices in the same building as his business. He didn't want to leave the office just to go home and work some more. Then again, the separation didn't do him much good if he continued to put in such long hours that when he did finally get home, he barely had enough energy to shower and kiss Nicole goodnight. There'd been a few times already that he'd wanted to make love to his mate when he got home, but his body simply didn't have enough gas. Nicole had taken to tucking Jaryn in bed, and he'd quickly fall asleep to the soft caress of her hand brushing back his hair and her sweet lips whispering her love in his ear.

Truthfully, a lot of his recent late hours had been spent with Shaun and Cooper ironing out the plans for the raid on Broyles' compound. It had brought back memories of nights back in the military when the three of them had sat with their commanding officer and team doing the same thing. In fact, all three of them were thankful for their experience because setting up an op such as this wasn't for the uninitiated.

Jaryn nodded at Shaun. "Okay, from now on the books are your problem. I'll transfer the files to your system today. I haven't filed the building permits for the chalet yet, so that's step one."

"I know the job, Jaryn."

He sighed, "You're right. I'm sorry." He opened up the secured communication programme and typed in the contact information for the council. "Let's get this done."

Nicole stepped around a large snowdrift that lingered on the street from the last storm that blew into town. Her boots crunched on the layer of snow that covered the sidewalk. A month ago she and Jaryn became mates, and they'd weathered the first snowstorm tucked away in their home together. She could now say with absolute certainty that her mate was an expert at conserving body heat while snuggling naked in front of a fire in the dark.

The wind that had whipped in and around the buildings of Stonepass for the last several days was silent, but another sound filled Nicole's ears and caught her attention. It started out as a buzzing sound, which gradually morphed into a faint whisper of voices.

"I've got eyes on her."

"Where do you think she's going now?"

"Who cares? We're just supposed to watch and report her movements back to Alpha."

"What do you think he wants with her?"

"I think that's pretty obvious, don't you?"

"Does this seem right to you? She was a prisoner as much as we are. Shouldn't we simply let her live her life? Look at her. She seems happy. Have you ever seen her so peaceful? When are we getting out of here? It's been weeks and—"

"Shut up a second. Look at her. She's looking around."

Nicole stopped and scanned her surroundings. She didn't see anyone in the vicinity.

Were the voices talking about her ? Where were they coming from? What did they want?

"Do you think she can hear us?"

"That's crazy. There's no way she can hear us. We're too far away. She's only human, remember?"

Nicole ducked into the diner.

"Morning, Nicole. What can I get for you?" Gillian asked.

"A cup of coffee, please."

She took a seat at a booth that lined the windows and tried to scan the street surreptitiously. She didn't recognize anyone out of place in the small town. But something was definitely not right.

"Here you go, sweetie."

Nicole smiled up at Gillian. "Thank you. Hey, you seem to have an ear for gossip in town. Have you heard anything about strangers being in town? Anyone looking out of place?"

Gillian sat in the booth across from Nicole. "No. Why? You have an itch on the back of your neck?"

Nicole unconsciously rubbed the scar on the back of her neck. She'd been in Stonepass for months and until a few moments ago hadn't thought Adam had a clue as to her whereabouts. But those voices seemed rather sinister. As far as she knew, there was only one female in town who someone might search for. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened her mental link to Jaryn.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the office with Shaun. Is everything all right? I sense some anxiety coming from you."

"I'm not sure. I overheard a conversation outside the diner that raised a few hairs on the back of my neck."

"Are you at the diner now?"

"Yes."

"Stay there, love, I'm on my way."

Nicole sat in the booth and sipped her coffee. She was all for being an independent woman, but she also knew that she was out of her depth when it came to Adam and his cohorts. If Adam did know her location, she certainly wouldn't put it past him to try something. She was certain that her escape hadn't exactly sat well with the controlling wolf.

"Nicole!"

She looked up to see Jaryn striding through the diner. She stood and sank into the comforting arms that surrounded her. Her head rested on Jaryn's chest. For a moment, she simply let the steady beat of his heart calm her agitated nerves.

"Are you okay, love?"

She nodded her head. Her cheek rubbed against the soft cotton of Jaryn's shirt. It was chilly outside today, but her mate had rushed to her without taking the time to grab a coat, and the fact made Nicole smile. "I'm fine."

"Sit, tell me what happened."

She slid back into the booth and let the warmth of her coffee mug warm her chilled hands. "I was on my way to the bank to make the deposit like you asked, and I heard voices. They were talking about watching a woman and reporting her movement to their Alpha."

"Did you see anyone?"

"No, that was the weird thing. I looked around, but there was nobody anywhere near me. But I swear I'm not lying. I know I heard two people talking."

Jaryn frowned. "They specifically said ‘Alpha'?"

Nicole nodded and looked back out towards the street. Even the scent of Clint's apple pie didn't seem to settle her nerves.

"Well, I can guarantee that I don't have anyone watching over you. So that means…"

Nicole looked across at her mate and whispered, "Adam. He knows where I am."

She kept the bit about them watching her for weeks to herself. She knew if she told Jaryn, he would flip out.

"Fuck. I'd hoped we'd have more time." Jaryn ran his hand over the top of his head. He looked across at Nicole. "Don't worry, love. I promised you I'd protect you, and I will." He picked up her hands and held them between his. "Do you trust me?"

Nicole nodded.

"Good. Shaun, Cooper and I have got clearance from the council to go to the Northwoods. We're taking a collaborative team of shifters from other packs, dens and flocks from around the country. Everyone is meeting here in the next couple of days. While we're gone, I'm going to leave Cooper here as your protective duty."

"Oh, Jaryn, you can't do that to him. He'll be so disappointed. He's worked as hard as any of you on this investigation."

"Foremost, my duty is to my Alpha and his mate. I'm honored to be chosen to protect you," Cooper said from behind Nicole.

Nicole jumped and looked over her shoulder. "I didn't even hear you walk up."

"If I wanted you to hear me, you would have."

"Okay, that's both a little creepy and impressive at the same time."

"Cooper, it seems that Broyles may have eyes and ears in town. You are to stay with Nicole at all times while we are gone. I will have my mate safe, and you are the most qualified."

Cooper bowed his head. "Thank you, Alpha."

"If you detect a threat to her safety, I expect you to take it down. We're not playing games here."

Cooper nodded silently.

"Unfortunately, love, I have to get back to the office. Shaun and I have a comm link scheduled with the chancellor in a few minutes. Cooper will accompany you to the bank, then I want the two of you to go back to the house. I'll be home as soon as I can."

Nicole stood, then stepped into Jaryn's arms. "I love you," she whispered.

"Love is too pale a word for my feelings for you, my mate."

Nicole tilted her head up as Jaryn's lowered. Their lips met. When they touched, it was as if a circuit opened between them. The heat they shared blasted Nicole, and when Jaryn's arms tightened around her, she knew he must feel it too. Jaryn slowly backed away and Nicole let out a little whimper of disappointment.

"Till later," he whispered.

Nicole watched as Jaryn walked backwards out of the diner, keeping his silver eyes on her the entire time. At the last possible second, he turned and walked through the glass door. Nicole sighed and looked back at Cooper.

"So I guess you're my shadow from now on. Well, there's no need to make this a solemn affair. Tell me about yourself, Cooper. Friendly conversation will make the day go much quicker."

They left the diner and Cooper kept Nicole to his left as they walked down the street.

"Why do I have to stay on this side of you?"

"So that my gun hand is free at all times."

Well, that was a sobering thought. "Couldn't you just shift and take out the bad guys with all those sharp teeth?"

Cooper looked down at Nicole with a smile. "Some may consider me a superhero, but even a wolf isn't faster than a speeding bullet."

Nicole chuckled. "Okay, you got me there. So you were on Jaryn's team in the military?"

"He told you about that, huh? Did he tell you about Collin?"

"The prank-pulling fairy? Yep. So give me the goods. Did he ever get one over on Jaryn?"

Cooper laughed. "Oh God, yes. There was this one time we were all dead tired from a twenty-mile hump. So we dragged our ragged asses into the barracks and Jaryn goes off to the latrine to take care of some business. Suddenly we hear this really loud crack and Jaryn's yelling obscenities that would make the toughest leatherneck blush. Turns out Collin had put a few snap cracks under the toilet seat and when Jaryn sat down… boom!"

Nicole stopped walking and stared at Cooper. Then suddenly, she doubled over laughing.

Cooper smiled. "I swear, for months after that, he checked under the seat before he dropped his trousers."

Nicole leaned against the side of the bank building as she caught her breath and wiped the tears from her eyes before they turned to tiny icicles. The air that she sucked into her lungs was cold, and the tip of Nicole's nose burned from the frigid air. She looked up at Cooper and for the first time realized what an attractive man he was. Up till that point, she'd always seen him as the soft-spoken, serious sheriff and enforcer for the pack, but when he smiled, his blue eyes sparkled.

"I bet the ladies eat you up, Sheriff." "Um, well, I wouldn't know."

"You cannot possibly expect me to believe that you're a virgin, Cooper Tessen. You exude a magnetism that would get any unmated person's juices going."

Cooper coughed, and Nicole giggled at the blush that crept down his neck. Cooper leaned in and braced his arm on the wall of the building beside Nicole's head. She sucked in a breath as his lips came within inches of her ear.

"I always liked Captain America more than Wonder Woman."

Nicole's eyes went wide and when she looked up at Cooper, she saw the humor sparkling in his eyes once again. She smacked at his shoulder and he stepped back with his hands up, laughing.

"All right. You've thoroughly put me in my place."

"Who's that guy? It's not Chaunterel. I thought she mated the Alpha, but she looks to be getting awfully cozy with whoever that is."

"Doesn't really matter. The Alpha's going to be pissed that Chaunterel has given her a private bodyguard."

Nicole stiffened and looked around. "Did you hear that?"

Cooper nodded and put Nicole behind his back. "Don't move, Nicole."

Cooper opened up his comm-unit and sent out a message. Nicole tried to peer around his broad shoulders, but Cooper kept her securely pinned behind his larger body. The cold from the stone of the building cut through her layers and the sharp edges poked her in the back. Less than a minute later, a black hulking vehicle pulled up to the kerb and the rear door opened.

"You called for a ride?"

Cooper quickly ushered Nicole into the backseat, keeping her body shielded with his the entire time. When she got in, she saw that Jeff Walker, one of Cooper's deputies, was behind the wheel.

"Take us to the Alpha's home. We need to get his mate secured immediately," Cooper ordered.

The vehicle pulled away quickly and sped down Main Street. Nicole assumed the deputy wasn't concerned about being caught speeding. As they entered pack lands, she saw Cooper's grip on the front passenger seat relax marginally.

"I'm sorry, Nicole. I never should have left you vulnerable like that."

She placed her hand on Cooper's shoulder. The muscles tensed under her hand. "You did nothing wrong. Nobody was hurt. That's what matters." Cooper's blue eyes burned into hers, and Nicole saw the self-recrimination in their depths. "Please."

"I'm going to have to tell Jaryn what happened."

"Nicole? Did they get you out?"

"Yes, we're all fine. How did you know?"

"Cooper's distress message went out to all pack members, so whoever was closest to you could come to the rescue. Was it more chattering, or did someone approach you?"

"I overheard the voices again, and this time Cooper heard them as well, so I know I'm not crazy. Nobody came close to us, though, and they didn't exactly say anything threatening. Sounded more like gossip to me. Cooper still feels terrible though, Jaryn. He's convinced he left me too exposed."

"Tell him he did his job. You're safe, that's all that matters. I'm on my way home now."

Nicole heard the mental door between hers and Jaryn's link close. She looked over at Cooper and smiled. "It's going to be fine."

They pulled into the drive and Nicole crossed the gravel quickly and jogged up onto the stone patio. Once the facial scanner unlocked the doors, she ushered Cooper and Jeff into the living room.

"Can I get either of you something to drink?"

"I'll take a coffee, if it's not too much trouble. The wind seems to have picked up again. I near froze my ass off, running from the car to the front door." Jeff shivered dramatically. "And people wonder why I like my wolf skin better. At least then I have fur."

Nicole smiled at him. "A coffee sounds perfect. Jaryn and I use a French press instead of the smart perk, so it'll take me a few minutes. Cooper?"

"Wait here, please."

Cooper left the living room, going toward the kitchen, then came back through the living room and headed for Jaryn's office. He had his hand on the holster of his gun the entire time.

"He's making sure the house is clear," Jeff said as he sat on the couch. "Wouldn't the security system have alerted us to an intruder when we entered?" "Yes, but Cooper doesn't always trust technology."

Nicole shrugged, but she wasn't worried. "I guess better safe than sorry."

"It's all clear. You can go into the kitchen now."

She went into the kitchen. The overcast day made the room dim, and she ordered the lights to activate over the counter. Leaning against the counter, she stretched up to pull the kettle and bean grinder out of their storage cabinet. She hummed a little tune to cut through the silence of the room. She activated the stovetop and filled the carafe. The insta-heat system cut the boiling time down on the water, but it would still take a minute. Nicole placed the bean grinder on the power mat. She selected a coarse ground and waited as the whirring sound drowned out her soft humming.

A few minutes later, the rich aroma of hazelnut coffee filled the air of the kitchen. She waited for the coffee to finish brewing, then slowly pressed the plunger down. She was opening the cabinet where they stored the coffee mugs when Jaryn's arms came around her waist and pressed his lips against the side of her neck.

"Hello."

"Hi, love. So you've had a bit of an exciting afternoon."

"Hmm, yes." She tilted her head back against Jaryn's chest. "That feels fantastic."

"As soon as our guests leave, I'll make sure you feel good all over. Now, can I help you carry the coffee in?"

"Thank you. Let me get the creamer out of the fridge. Did you talk to Cooper?"

"Yes, for all the good it did. I can tell he still feels responsible." Nicole's shoulders fell, and she sighed. "I wish he wouldn't."

"It's his nature. If anything, I can trust that from now on he'll be doubly on guard, so when I leave, I know you'll be in safe hands."

"Fuck yes. Suck my cock, sweetheart."

Jaryn lay back on their bed, fists clutching the sheets as Nicole's tongue made a pass over the glistening head of his cock. The ribbon of warmth twirled around the broad circumference, before dipping into the slit where it wiggled and caused Jaryn's breath to hiss out in pleasure. Her lips opened wide as she lowered around his engorged flesh, but didn't yet enclose his length in the hot cavern of her mouth. Her head lifted, and she lapped up and down his hard cock, following the snaking veins with the tip of her tongue.

Jaryn groaned. "You are a devil woman," he said raggedly. She was driving him crazy. He was near to pleading with her to take him deep into her throat, but his sultry little mate was bent on teasing him till he expired from insatiable lust.

Nicole looked up at him from beneath the fringe of her russet lashes. The moon shone through the skylights in their bedroom and once again, Jaryn thought he saw a glow radiating from his mate's eyes. He'd seen it a handful of times since they mated, and as with the previous occurrences, the anomaly was gone almost as quick as it appeared. It had to be a trick of the light. There was simply no other explanation.

When Nicole's warm silken lips finally brushed over the ridge of his cock and slid down his length, he thought his head would explode as the heat of her mouth sank through the layers of skin. Emotion and hunger bubbled up from the depths of his soul and threatened to explode from every pore of his body. Fierce possessiveness radiated throughout his system and he fisted one hand in the mass of hair falling across his hip.

Nicole's head bobbed in earnest, and Jaryn watched as each inch slid between her slick lips over and over. Her hand cradled his balls, and one finger slipped lower to massage the patch of sensitive skin beneath. As incredible as this was, he didn't want to come in his mate's mouth. He wanted to once again find heaven locked inside her body. With the last ounces of restraint in his system, he halted Nicole's ministrations. She pulled off his cock with a popping sound and an expression of confusion.

"Get up here," he growled.

Jaryn dragged her body up his. He rolled them over on the enormous bed till he braced his weight above her. Time suspended as he examined every delicate feature of her face. Then in incremental movements, he lowered his mouth to hers. It was a kiss of hunger and of claiming. It was a kiss that said; you belong to me. Jaryn pulled away from the temptation of his mate's lips and dipped his head to capture one nipple. He sucked on the hard tip while caressing the underside of the plush mound. He lifted the weight in the palm of his hand to kiss the tender skin on the underside. Nicole's natural taste was stronger here, held securely within her skin from the heat of her body. A little moan from above signaled that she enjoyed that touch, so Jaryn took the time to kiss and lick her swollen and aroused breasts. He found out since their mating that Nicole's body did in fact have tiny freckles all over, and one of his favorite games was to play connect the dots, so to speak. He could feel his wolf's desire build in his system—the ever-present need to reassert his claim on his mate. To plunge inside and take them on a journey to unparalleled heights of pleasure.

His hand slid down the smooth expanse of her abdomen and his fingers dipped into the slick creases of tender flesh he longed to drive his cock between. One finger circled the opening of her body, tracing the contours in a lazy pattern. Nicole's thick cream coated his finger and Jaryn spread it around the blood-infused folds. Her hips thrust up towards his hand.

"Jaryn!"

"I want to hear you, sweetheart. Tell me what you want. Tell me about the need raging through your body."

"Oh, God…" Nicole panted. "I… I need to be filled. I need you to claim me."

He stared down at the woman he loved as he fed a single digit into the tight channel of her pussy. "Is that what you needed?"

"More!"

He added a second finger and his thumb brushed over her clit, causing Nicole to arch up and a soft pleading cry to escape from between her lips.

"How about that?"

"Please, Jaryn. You. I need you," she pleaded. "You have me, love. I'm inside you, just like you asked."

"Your cock. I need your cock."

"All you had to do was ask."

Jaryn rolled onto her body. His arms gathered Nicole close as their bodies rubbed together. Her hard nipples skimmed the hair on his chest. Jaryn cupped one thigh and lifted it. His hips slid into position and his cock nudged the wet opening of her body. He moaned as her pussy stretched around his invasion. He slowly moved up into her, taking his time to fully merge his body with hers. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and her nails scored his skin, adding another sensation on top of the ones already rioting through his system as Nicole's body enveloped his cock in fiery bliss.

"That's right, love. Let me feel your mark."

His voice was raspy even to his own ears. He took a large breath and his torso shuddered. There was a distinct burn on his back as Nicole dragged her fingers up to the top of his shoulders. He moved, slowly drawing out of her body. The motion made all the nerve endings in the head of his cock jump in excitement and the veins climbing the hard length pulse in a throbbing tempo. Her thighs closed around his hips. Their skin pressed together. The sweat created by their exertions made their motions slick. A whimper rose from her lips as he thrust deep, his entire body heaving against hers. His hand pushed back the damp edges of her hair and he pressed a kiss to her mouth.

He kept his momentum steady, driving his cock deep with each thrust. This wasn't a time to rush their coupling. Jaryn wanted to draw out every moment in Nicole's arms. Pleasure caused his body to tighten and his lower back tingled as their need climbed. His mouth left hers and her neck arched. Jaryn watched her pulse flutter in the moonlight. His teeth grazed the side of her neck. His cock plunged hard enough to rock the bed, and his mate met every thrust with her hips as she pleaded for more. His lungs burned as pleasure washed over him. The wave slammed over him, at the same time Nicole's pussy clamped around his cock. Jaryn held her tight as he buried his cock deep inside her, sank his teeth into his mark, and offered up every ounce of his seed into the clutches of the flesh that milked him to completion.