Chapter 6

Leaving Wilde

A week had passed since Joey had left rejecting him and all that he had to offer her. He had thought about contacting her, but she hadn't even left him a phone number. Naqi had started on the work at her cabin hoping that would give her a reason to call him. Surely, she would have someone stay at the cabin before too long.

A few days later, someone came. She said her name was Janey and she was Joey's cousin. Janey was pretty if you liked someone that wasn't Joey, which he didn't. She had red hair, dark brown eyes, a figure even curvier than Joey's, and the palest skin he'd ever seen. He wasn't interested, but several of his pack had seen her on a trip she had made to town, and they were all but fighting over her. Naqi wondered if she was supposed to be a white wolf too. That was all he needed, more alphas hunting mates in his quiet village.

It made him feel weak to admit it even to himself, but he missed Joey. He knew many reasons that she might have left, but when it came down to it, she had rejected him and his ability to defend her. When she left, he had gone a little crazy. The next day he had hunted down Conrad and tried to pick a fight. The cowardly alpha had refused to be baited. Once Conrad had realized that Joey was no longer there, he had left which pissed Mad off.

"Stop interfering in my business, Naqi. Someday you will realize you should mate me, until then keep your nose out of what I do."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You ran Conrad off. I was finding him to be a pleasant distraction. Only fair if you think about it. You fucked his future mate, so he got to fuck yours."

"You told him all about Joey, didn't you?"

"What little I knew. Damn straight I did. You're fucking her when you should have been with me and you're complaining about it?"

"What else did you tell him, Mad?" Naqi asked quietly. He was so pissed his body was taut with holding in his anger. She didn't notice as she answered him not holding back a thing.

"He asked about you and the pack. It's not like it's a secret or anything. I told him about what a beast you are in bed and in a fight. I've missed that, you're such a wild lover," her voice softened. "I'm ready to get you back in my bed."

It took a moment for the last part to sink in. Was she crazy? Probably. "You will never get me back in your bed. You'd have to be delusional to even think you could. Next time you give out information on me, the pack, or someone under our protection, you will be banished, if you're lucky," he said it softly, but his voice was cold and hard. Even a crazy bitch like Mad had to recognize that he meant what he said.

For the first time he saw fear in her eyes followed by the pain of loss. He knew that for whatever reason she had truly thought they would mate even though he had never considered her in that light. She had just been a convenient female, there and ready when he had needed one. It wasn't like she didn't use males that way too.

He didn't understand the niggling feeling of guilt that he had hurt her. Maybe it was that the hurt was easier to understand now that he was on the receiving end? "I'm sorry it had to be this way Mad." He walked away quickly before she could answer. There was really nothing else left to be said.

Every night he dreamed of her and thought about her often during the day. Another week had now passed, and nothing had changed. If anything, the pain and anguish, the need and the want, had just intensified and the urge to go, throw her over his shoulder and carry her to his house to tie her to his bed however long it took to convince her to stay, only increased. He missed the old days when an alpha could do as he pleased with no fear of recriminations. Not that he'd been old enough to take advantage of the lack of rules when that time had existed.

Some of the old wolves still talked about that time with tears in their eyes. The she-wolves had a different take on things, most being happy that times had changed. He stopped and stood still, the picture of Joey tied naked to his bed popping into his mind, his cock hardened painfully. Damn! He didn't need this, not now, not ever. She was gone and had made her choice. She must not want him or anything he had to offer.

He remembered the call that had come from Damon right after she left. "Naqi."

"This is Damon. How are things going with Joey and Conrad?"

"You don't know?"

"I don't know what?"

"She cut out of here without so much as a fuck you. As soon as Conrad realized she was gone, he was out of here too."

"You don't sound as happy about it as I would have expected."

"I don't care one way or the other."

"I understand," Damon said quietly. Naqi had a feeling he really did, and that Damon had seen through what he said to what he didn't say.

"Was that all you needed?"

"Go after her if she means something to you. Don't let her being a white wolf scare you off."

"I don't believe that white wolf crap. They died out generations ago and everyone knows that. I don't know what kind of political bullshit someone is trying to pull, and I don't really care. Joey and I had a fling then she left. It's as simple as that." If only that were true.

"If you say so, Naqi. Call me if you change your mind and need a little help."

Naqi said nothing. He wanted to go after her, but she didn't want him and that hurt. Some of the females he had been with in his past would say he deserved it, maybe he did. If this was his punishment for being indifferent to the females he had fucked in his past, it was a good one. Only a week and his wolf threatened to tear free and chase her down. If only it was that easy.

Another week passed and another, but his heart felt no relief. He was snappy and difficult to get along with. Finally, he decided he would find a female in the hopes that she could cure him of his obsession. That's when he went to Mad's where all the tourists and the single local girl's hung out. When he had a beer, he would wait for a female to approach him. It didn't take long.

A cute blonde came up to him dressed in very little. She was looking for some action, he had no doubt about it. "Hello, you look like you might be a local."

"Yes, I am." He scented her, she was human so he would have to be careful.

"I'm looking for someone to show me around. Are you interested?" No, he really wasn't. Now he wasn't sure that this was a good idea. The thought of touching her made him feel almost ill. She reached over and ran a finger down his arm, and he almost growled at her. No, this wasn't going to work since all he was thinking about was Joey. It was her scent he wanted to breathe in, her skin he wanted to touch, and her body he wanted to sink into.

"Sorry, I have to go to work in a little while. Maybe Gabe over there in the corner would be a better choice." She looked insulted but made her way over to Gabe. After that he didn't bother to watch what she did. There wasn't even any joy in the company of an attractive female anymore. What had Joey done to him?

Another week passed and soon it was a month. Learning how to keep the hurt inside was no easy task. Often, he thought of her, and it made him sad. As he went about his work throwing everything into it, he hoped it would keep his mind busy and his heart numb. It helped until it was time for bed, then all the pain came back. There was no point in denying he missed her. In a short time, she had become necessary, not only to his happiness, but to his survival.

He made a decision, he called Damon. "Damon."

"This is Naqi. Where is she?"

"You held out longer than I thought you would. But you need to know before you come here that she has been attacked several times by blood wolves sent by Conrad."

"What the hell are blood wolves?"

"They are wolves high on vampire blood. It makes them crazy which in turn makes them obsessive and hard to fight. They are stronger and tougher until the blood wears off and the blood is poisonous. You'll have to be careful."

"Is she alright? They haven't hurt her, have they?"

"She's alright. One of them almost killed Danny, Ariel's son, when he came to her rescue, but she jumped on its back helping to weaken it giving Danny a chance to take it out. He got some of its blood in a wound and the healer said it was a close call. Those white wolves are tough generally."

"I can't believe she did that, never mind, I can. She's a warrior at heart, but she should show some sense of self-preservation. I'm glad Danny was alright. Didn't he take Hemple's place? Where were the members of his pack while this was going down? You're back to the white wolf crap. I'll believe it when I see it."

"Watching, apparently. They said the alpha needed to be able to fight his own battles. They are a confused group and Danny hasn't had time to gain their confidence or their loyalty yet. It's only been a couple months since he took over."

"He needs to kick some ass and take some names. They've been with Hemple so long they don't know any other way."

"It's better than it was. At least they helped Joey carry Danny to her house, and they stayed to guard them. You heading out now?"

"Don't warn her, she'll run."

"I'm not so sure of that. Ariel said she's been a real mopey miss. I think she misses you as much as you miss her."

"Not possible. I've never felt like this before, it's hard to explain."

"I understand more than you think. My mate is Joey's cousin. To make things more difficult, she's also part witch and succubus. If you think you have it hard, think again."

"Okay, I give up. I have to call my cousin so he can fuel up his plane. Thanks, Damon."

"Good luck." He could only hope for some good luck, because life with Joey was going to be one wild ride if he could even get her to agree to give him a shot. He checked his phone where Damon had sent him a text with contact information.

He called his cousin who also happened to be the pilot of the only private plane that flew in and out of Wilde. That cousin was an unhappy wolf since he had just made it back a few hours ago from a cargo flight. Once he got the timeline for his flight to Anchorage, he called and bought a ticket with the assumption that they would make it there on time.

John was one hell of a pilot, and he didn't disappoint him. They made the airport on time to catch his flight. He had better luck sleeping on the plane then he had had in his comfortable bed, maybe because he knew he was getting closer to her by the minute. With one stopover in Minneapolis, that was common on a flight from Anchorage to St. Louis or any point in the US further east, he would make it by tomorrow.

The flight went without any problems or delays. That's when he decided to rent a SUV and he got one with GPS. No delays was his plan since it was early evening. His hope was to get to her house before she went to bed. He was so excited at the thought of seeing her, he felt a shiver run through him. His mind imagined how she might greet him if she had really missed him and really wanted him. She lived a good way from the airport in an old part of town. It was the kind of area where there were white picket fences and most people had kids and dogs. There was a sign about a park ahead and he knew her house was close by. That's when he saw the large old house and he thought it was perfect for her. A better fit than even the log cabin near Wilde had been. How could he asked her to give up all this to live in the harsh unforgiving place he lived in?

His palms were sweaty, and he was developing a tic on his right eye. Even his chest ached, and he feared he was having a heart attack. Did wolves even have those? Not that he had ever heard of. Maybe he should have bought her flowers instead of stopping at the airport to get her the little white wolf figurine. As soon as he'd seen it, he'd loved it and even though he didn't believe her family was white wolves, he thought she'd like it. He had even found a gift bag with hearts on it, so he was symbolically giving her his heart.

There were at least three lights on, and he hoped she didn't have company. He didn't want to share her. What if it were a male trying to move in on his territory? A growl burst forth that he couldn't hold back, he would rip his throat out without hesitation. Whether she knew it or not, even if she didn't agree with it, she was his. Mine!

Naqi got out of the SUV closing the door quietly so he wouldn't disturb anyone who had gone to bed early. He walked up to her door but stood there hesitating as seconds passed. Doubts assailed him. What if she didn't want him? Then he decided he needed to know, nothing was worse than living without her except never taking the chance to get her back. Now he knocked harder than he had intended to, and he heard her steps coming to the door. His stomach turned over from nervousness. He heard her hand on the knob as it turned.

His breath caught in his throat as the door slowly opened. He decided to throw caution to the wind and be aggressive. The door wasn't even fully opened as he pushed his way in grabbing Joey and planting a kiss on her. The only problem was it wasn't Joey.

"See why I like to hang out at your house?" the unknown female said as she looked over her shoulder. "These kinds of things never happen at home." She fanned herself with her hand as she acted like she was overheated.

"These kinds of things usually don't happen here either, Mel. Why are you here, Naqi?"

"Naqi?" Mel asked as she examined him closely. "I'd better go," she said regretfully.

Naqi was relieved especially since he felt silly for kissing the female when he meant to kiss Joey. Mel slipped past him and out the door leaving him alone with Joey. He stepped closer to her wanting nothing more than to hold her. She looked wary and it held him back.

"Why are you here?" she asked again.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she admitted reluctantly.

"Come to me, Joey. I want to hold you, but I want you to want it too. Come into my arms and I'll never let you go." She moved toward him until she was almost where he wanted her.

He could see the want in her eyes, but she fought it. So close, but she refused to move closer. "Why?" he asked. In her eyes he could see forever if she would just give in.

"You told me you didn't want a mate. You said you weren't made to settle down."

"I'd never met you before. Can't a male learn? Can't he change his mind? Can't you give me a chance to show you how I feel about you? Don't you want me?"

"I do want you, but I'm afraid. I don't want to lose my heart."

"I already have," he admitted. She moved into his arms with tears in her eyes as he pulled her up against him holding her as tightly as he could without causing her pain. He breathed deep, her smell was as wonderful as he remembered. He was almost dizzy with the joy of having her in his arms and breathing in her familiar scent.

"The only thing I want to do right now is sink into you until we are joined as one. I've never felt for anyone, the way I feel for you. Never doubt that I will give you everything, never holding anything back. You are my heart and soul."

Tears came to her eyes, he knew she wanted to believe and only time would prove he was telling the truth. He pressed soft kisses on her face and neck until he felt her relax then he picked her up and followed his nose to her bedroom. Even though her scent was throughout the house, once he was upstairs it was centered in one bedroom, hers. There were no surprises, not even by the four poster canopy bed that she slept in. A romantic bedroom was what he had expected her to have and so it was. Two huge pillows were at the top and two slightly smaller ones below them.

Her room was neat and well kept, that was no surprise either. It showed him that he knew her even though they hadn't been together that long. A little surprise was the collection of pewter figurines that were wizards, dragons, wolves, vampires, and witches. There were a lot of them, and she must have collected them for years. A picture on the wall caught his eye, he recognized it as one his mother had painted of him on his sled as he raced along the road near the village and close to the water. Hoping she had been drawn to it because she knew it was him driving the sled he smiled.

He glanced back down at the female he held in his arms then he laid her gently down on the bed and he started to strip out of his clothes. As quickly as possible he wanted on her and in her, a month had been too long to wait to love her. She watched him as he undressed, and he saw the lust fill her eyes. It made him feel wanted and even more impatient to be with her. Joey wasn't wearing much, and he hoped she wasn't attached to it because he intended to tear it off her body if it didn't come off easily.

As he moved up to the bed leaning over to kiss her his hands pulled the T-shirt up to her neck. She lifted her head as he worked it off her and she wore nothing beneath it. His hands couldn't resist cupping her perfectly sized breasts and rubbing them. Naqi tweaked her rosy nipples until they were hard then he turned his attention to her shorts. Those he slid down and off her feet as he discovered she wore nothing else. His mouth watered as he surveyed his prize, then he wasted no time as he kissed her then began to work down her neck to her nipples. Sucking them one at a time he enjoyed the feel and the taste of them before working his way down licking and nipping at her skin until he made it to the crux of her thighs.

A delightfully sexy scent hit his nose as she became fully aroused. He lowered his nose into her slick heat and moved his tongue out to sample it. Delicious! Now he had to have more so he moved his tongue in and out tongue fucking her rapidly. She moaned and writhed making him shiver. As he moved his tongue up to her clit, he wanted to see how quickly he could make her cum. She arched against him and groaned as he swirled his tongue over her delicate bud. He relaxed and got to work. Round and round his tongue worked relentlessly as she encouraged him and moaned as sensations hit her.

Faster he moved, harder he pressed, and he gave her more of the control shattering pleasure that she cried out for. He felt the tension in her body building, and he sank in one finger finding her channel slick and ready for more. Sinking in two he took his time stretching her and using his tongue to push her closer to release. She was close, he could tell by her sweet noises and movements. He sped up and pushed even more as his fingers went faster, harder, and deeper. She arched up to meet his fingers as he continued to work her until she screamed his name as she clutched at him and thrashed her head from side to side.

Moving up her body he didn't wait for her to relax, he inserted his hard straining cock in one wild thrust. She made a strangled sound, but she moved to meet him, taking him in her passion coated sheath, as desperate to keep him there as he was to stay. Mine! He would die if he ever lost her. How had he made it a month without her? It just didn't seem possible. As he moved skillfully driving into her hitting all the spots that ensured her pleasure, he kept his weight on his hands. Nothing but bliss was what he felt as he rode his mate making sure she felt the same.

He started to tingle, he wouldn't hold out long. "Cum for me Baby," he whispered in her ear. She groaned and thrashed against him wildly. Her orgasm was hard and skirted the line of pleasure and pain. Her muscles squeezed him, and he lost it right along with her spilling his seed deep inside her. As wave after wave of rapture ripped through him, he jerked against her. He held her and rolled to his side so he wouldn't collapse on her since he now felt drained.

She snuggled against him her head on his chest. His nose was in her hair breathing deeply of her scent. He felt at peace with her in his arms, he could finally relax. As he stroked her arm relaxing her, he enjoyed the feel of her skin beneath his hand. In his opinion she was claimed for good. Joey whispered something he couldn't quite make out and she relaxed into sleep. He felt good, but too excited to sleep as easily as she had.

It was clear she took a lot of care with her home. That it would be hard for her to leave all this behind, he was sure. He would have to find a way to ease the loss for her. Because the time they had been apart had been so hard on him he snuggled even closer and breathed deeper. He caught a change in her scent, subtle but there and he wondered if she realized what that might mean and if she did, why hadn't she told him? It made him even angrier at Conrad for what he had done and the way he had risked her life and her welfare in attempting to capture her.

Soon he would have to get with Damon and together they could deal with Conrad. He refused to suffer the fool any longer. Once he spoke to him, he was sure Damon, and the council would agree to help stop it. He knew he was feeling possessive, and she might not like it, but he couldn't help himself. She might not know it, but she was his. He started to relax his mind as he felt he solved the troubles facing them. When he was nearly asleep, he moved a hand to her stomach and one to her breast. Mine! It was his last thought as sleep claimed him. He slept with a half-smile on his lips and beautiful dreams running through his mind.

Slowly in degrees he woke. First, he was aware of a lovely scent that lured him into hanging onto sleep and just lying there to enjoy it. Next, he became aware of a bed softer than his, but again it was infused with that delightful scent. He felt warm skin under his hands, not a bad thing especially when combined with that wonderful scent that smelled like home and belonging. The warm skin moved around, but not enough to worry him. That scent grew a little stronger as she moved against him. Soon he would wake, but he was in no hurry.

She tried to escape so he wrapped her in his arms. That would teach her that she couldn't leave him, not ever. He felt her stomach grumble, he could even hear it. His mate needed to be fed and he would take care of her. Now he opened one eye to evaluate things. Joey was in bed with him, and she was halfway between waking and sleeping. He opened the other eye, it was time to fix his mate breakfast. It wouldn't be as good as the food she had fixed for them, but it would show his commitment and his desire to please her.

Now that he had decided what to do, he couldn't wait to get started on it. He swung his feet off the bed and was now sitting on the edge. Once he rose, he rushed to the shower, because he needed to get things done before she was up. As he showered, shaved, and got dressed in record time, next he hurried to her kitchen where he had trouble finding things. Nothing was where he would have put it.

Finally, he managed to find the frying pan, a spatula, and the ingredients he needed to make a very basic breakfast. He was glad he remembered to make coffee, but he wasn't sure if she should be drinking it. They had a lot to discuss, and he intended to talk to her over breakfast. Once he had a plate fixed for each of them, he tried to decide if he should wake her up. On one hand she needed her sleep, on the other he wanted her to eat, and he needed to get her talking about their mating. A sinking suspicion he had was that she hadn't even thought about it or what it would mean.

He did remember one remark she had made about being able to work anywhere. That was good because he had to be in Wilde for most of his duties. While he could take trips for weeks even months at certain times of the year, he was tied to the village because he was the pack alpha, a fact he wasn't sure she was aware of. Joey came into the kitchen saving him from having to wake her. Even in a robe with her hair all messed up, she was beautiful. Maybe she was even more beautiful like this because he was the only one who saw her this way.