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  “COME ON, RYKA!” Kenna screamed, and when she lifted horrified eyes to Wren’s he knew what the girl was thinking. It was there, in her stark expression. She didn’t think Ryka was going to make it.

  As if on autopilot, Wren kept stalking toward the water, all but one of his brothers flanking him. Lux had shifted and raced to Ryka, sliding in the dirt as he gently shoved Ash aside and began giving Ryka mouth-to-mouth. The part of Wren that was so fiercely possessive of his mate stayed quiet. Ash was sobbing too hard, and she wouldn’t have been able to continue breathing for his mate. Lux though, forced great lungs full of air into Ryka’s chest with a focused determination that Wren prayed worked.

  Snarls and low growls rattled the air around him. He knew his brothers wanted him to drop Marill so they could all enjoy tearing him limb-from-limb, but that wasn’t happening. No, this fucker was going out the same way he’d taken out Ryka. The thought made him trip, and he stopped a moment to bring himself back under control. NO, goddamnit! She’s not gone yet! His eyes narrowed on Ryka’s still-pale features, her still-lifeless body, and he summoned every fucking ounce of Apex authority he had as he yelled across the clearing. “RYKA! COME BACK! NOW!” It was an Alpha command, and the girls and his brother’s hunched in on themselves with the weight of the power his words carried.

  Seven cowed, but kept performing chest compressions, and Lux’s mouth was hovering over Ryka’s when a cough jerked through her body and an eruption of water shot up from her mouth. Hurriedly, Seven and Lux worked to roll Ryka onto her side and, thank the Gods for small miracles, she was facing Wren. He stood motionless, holding Marill’s still-struggling body clamped to him. He watched with the greatest of relief as Ryka heaved up an impossible amount of water from her lungs and wretched. His relief was so strong it was nearly staggering, but he needed more. Her eyes! He needed to see his mate’s eyes. His lion needed to know that she had come back to them.

  Sluggishly, Ryka stopped coughing and pressed the back of one hand to her lips before her light brown eyes blinked open. She looked pained as she dropped her hand to clutch at her chest. Her sisters were offering her soothing words, but she was scanning the area with a look of confusion, as if she was trying to make sense of what she saw. Finally, her eyes lifted and locked on Wren’s and a sharp breath slammed air into his chest. He hadn’t even realized he’d been holding his breath, waiting for her to look at him, until air finally hit his starved lungs.

  Ryka held his gaze a moment, then her eyes dipped to Marill. When she lifted her eyes once more to Wren’s, they were suddenly full of tears. He could see when it all registered, when she remembered what happened. Her lower lip trembled, but she nodded at Wren, and that was all he needed.

  His feet started moving again, and Marill had to know what was coming, because now he was fighting like a crazed animal. It wasn’t enough. His pathetic strength would never be a match for the power thrumming through Wren, demanding he vindicate his mate. With Ryka watching, he stalked into the water, dragging Marill with him. Releasing the wolf and holding him under was no hardship, and even when Marill shifted to human form and punched up at him, Wren merely caught the blow on his shoulder and kept right on holding the fucker under. Marill’s struggle was fierce, and it cost him. His eyes locked on Wren’s from beneath the water as he sucked in water. Still, Wren held firm. Not until every last twitch left Marill’s body, and his eyes were staring sightlessly up at the sky, did Wren release his hold and let the body drift downstream. Wren’s eyes locked on Liddick’s and then Cason’s, and he jerked his head toward the rapidly disappearing body. He’d take no chances. His brother’s would drag the body from the river and ensure the Alpha was stone dead before disposing of his remains.

  Five large steps and he was out of the water and rushing to Ryka. She lifted her arms to him just as he knelt and lifted her onto his lap. He held her body close as she clung to him, and it was the best damn feeling in the world. Her shoulders shook and her sobs broke his heart. “Shhh,” he crooned. “I’ve got you, my queen. I’ve always got you.” Her body was ice-cold, and he stood swiftly looking over Ryka’s head to Jesup. “Get to the house, stoke the fire, start a kettle to boil, find blankets.”

  “I’ll help!” Seven offered, and she and Cason shifted and raced for the house.

  Kenna was holding onto Ryka’s shirt like she was afraid to let go, and Ash kept pace beside them, her eyes scanning the forest as if she were anticipating another attack.

  “We’re fine, Ash. They’re all dead.”

  She jerked her chin down in a nod, but her eyes never stopped their watching. He didn’t blame her. She was Ryka’s second, and right now her need to protect was pouring from Ash in a flood that nearly rivaled his own.

  “Hang on, my queen, we’re almost home.”

  Chapter 24

  It’d been four days since the attack, and still Ryka sat immobile on the couch. Not by choice. No, Wren and the rest of their pack were going overboard with the caretaking. She was brought three meals a day, four snacks a day, and Wren was constantly trying to settle another blanket over her, even though she was already covered with two and reclined on the couch in front of the hearth, which held a brightly burning fire that hadn’t been given a chance to dwindle since she’d been carried home.

  “Hungry?” Wren asked, plucking at the front of his shirt.

  From where she was reclined at the other end of the couch with her socked feet resting in his lap as he massaged them absently, she could see little beads of sweat dotting his brow and perfect nose. “No,” she chuffed on a laugh. “I haven’t been hungry since arriving here.”

  “What?” Seven poked her head out of the kitchen, looking directly at Wren. “Did she say she’s hungry?”

  “NO!” Ryka bellowed around a laugh, then instantly broke into a fit of coughing. She wasn’t sick, shifters didn’t get sick, but her lungs still hurt and her body temperature hadn’t fully regulated itself yet. Planting a hand beside her hip, she sat up straighter, pinching her eyes against the pain the coughs brought. When she finally quieted and her eyes slowly opened, the rest of the pack was circled around the couch. As if on cue, eight voices all started speaking at once.

  “Ryka, you alright?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “What do you need?”

  “You want water?”

  “You warm enough?”

  “Maybe she should get up and walk around the living room for a second.”

  “Don’t be fucking stupid, Jesup!”

  “Maybe she needs a doctor.”

  “Stop,” Ryka offered weakly, holding up a hand. To their credit, everyone quieted as she relaxed back against the couch and rolled her eyes at the faces that poked closer, faces filled with concern. “I’m fine, everyone. I swear! I’m not hungry, I’m not cold, I’m not gonna die.”

  “Then why aren’t you getting better?” Kenna implored, with a quivering bottom lip. “We’re shifters. You should be better by now.” She looked at Wren. “Shouldn’t she?”

  Wren frowned, his eyes studying Ryka, before he offered, “She died, guys. She died, and then came back to us, and that’s gonna be hard on anybody, even a shifter. Give her time. She’s strong, she’ll get through this.”

  Ryka felt her heart squeeze at everyone’s genuine concern. “I’m going to be fine, everyone. I promise. Wren’s right, I just need a little time. My wolf is fighting hard, she’ll have me back in the game soon, but until then…”

  Ash leaned forward. “You sure you don’t want something to eat?”

  “NO! Thank you,” Ryka quickly tacked on. “Wren’s gonna take me up to bed.” She gave him a direct look and he stood.

  When he lifted her into his arms, she flashed another reassuring smile at their pack. “Goodnight, everyone. Sleep well.”

  “Goodnight,” they all chimed in unison. Hell, even ornery ass Liddick looked worried as Wren carried her upstairs.

  At the top of the stairs, Wren turned for their room. As
h was now bunking with Liddick, and Seven was settled in with Lux. Cason and Jesup had cleared out a guest room for Kenna, and at first, Ryka thought the younger girl would be too afraid to sleep alone. But, surprisingly enough, Kenna seemed to enjoy having her own space. For the past four days, Ryka woke each night to find Wren settled into a chair in the corner, either passed out or watching her sleep. Tonight, she had different plans.

  Wren carried Ryka to the bed and settled her on it. “Let me find you something to sleep in.”

  “Wait!”

  He stilled, turning back to her, and she looked up at his towering frame with soft eyes. “I’m sorry,” she breathed, her dark eyes pooling with regret.

  Wren knelt in front of her and gently took her hands into his. “And just what is it exactly that you think you’re apologizing for?”

  She blinked and looked down at their hands. “It was all I could think about. The whole time they were holding me under the water. I knew I was going to die this time, and I was so…”

  Her lip trembled and he soothed, “Shhh, Ryka.” Leaning forward, he rested his head in her lap and lifted her hands, flattening them on his scalp. He needed to feel her right now. He had to know she was still here, still with him, still his. “Don’t apologize, woman. You have nothing to apologize for.”

  “I should have trusted you. I should have known from the beginning.”

  Her voice was thick, and he knew she was crying, but he couldn’t look up. His lion couldn’t handle seeing her heartbreak.

  “I didn’t. I took too long. Then I threw myself at you, and you turned me down…”

  That had his head snapping up, his eyes going hard as he spoke, his words solemn. “I wanted to claim you more than I wanted to breathe, Ryka! I just had to know it was what you wanted too.”

  “And that’s what I’m sorry for,” she rushed to explain. Her hands left his hair and smoothed down either side of his jaw. “I did it all wrong, said all the wrong words.” Her eyes held his. “I was a coward.”

  He started shaking his head, but she grinned and tightened her grip on his jaw. “I was. I said it’d mean a lot to the girls if we tried to make it work, but that’s not what I meant, what I felt. I wanted it for me, but I was afraid to ask, afraid to tell you. So I’m telling you now, Wren Prime. Unforced, unafraid, unabashedly. I want you to claim me. I want to claim you. Will you accept me as your mate?”

  He pulled back and stared at her body, a frown jerking his brows down. “You’re still weak, Ryka. We should wait until…”

  A seductive grin lifted her lips. “You turning me down a second time, Wren? A girl’s ego can only take so much, you know.” She knew better though, the scent of his need filled the air so strongly it was dizzying.

  Wren’s frown deepened and he swallowed tightly. “I’ve been dying to slide my dick inside you,” he snarled, his animal prowling just beneath the surface, ready to lunge if Wren didn’t take what she was offering. “From the moment you showed up here, burying myself inside you, feasting on your pussy, giving you my mark, have been all-consuming needs that I’ve literally had to fight. When I’m near you, and my lion is forced to smell you,” his nostrils flared, “Forced to smell the sweet honey that gathers between your legs, just for us…” He licked his lips and shook his head. “You’ve been killing me, Ryka. Every day, every hour, every minute, every second, I’ve been dying. And now, you offer me something that I can’t take, because I won’t risk hurting you. You need to recover, and I need to go shoot myself in the fucking head because I swear to God, I have no idea how I’m supposed to walk away from you right now, but I know I need to.”

  Ryka canted her head, her lashes fluttering as she blinked dreamily up at him. “There is another way.”

  He didn’t ask, he didn’t need to. His body tensed so hard at her words that she knew he was balancing on a razor’s edge waiting for her to gift him an out. She dropped her hands to cover his where they rested at either side of her hip, then let her hands slide up his thickly-corded forearms, the golden hair tickling her palms. “You could be gentle. Just this first time.” She blinked up at him. “Do you think you could do that, my Apex? Do you think you could fuck me softly?”

  His body jerked when she said the word fuck, and she couldn’t help the smile that teased her lips. Apparently, her mate liked it when she talked dirty. Ryka decided instantly to be a sadistic bitch and torture her mate into giving her what they both wanted. Parting her legs around his body, she knew he could scent her arousal, her need for him, when his eyes darkened and his jaw clenched.

  “You could slowly peel the clothes from my body.” Her hands crossed at her hips, lifting the hem of her shirt until it was over her head, dropping it onto the bed. “Couldn’t you?” Wren’s eyes dipped to the lacey bra that did little to hide her heavy breasts, flushed and peaked with budded nipples. “Once I was naked, you could ease me back and cover me with your body.” Slowly, she leaned back onto the bed, her breasts jutting into the air as she let a sultry sigh escape her. “You could touch me, rub me, feel me.” She smoothed her hands up over her jean clad hips, ran them over her belly, then unfastened the clip resting between her breasts. She made a show of slowly peeling the material back before releasing it to cup her own breasts, drawing an exaggerated gasp as she pinched her own nipples. She smiled when she heard a rolling growl rumble from Wren’s chest. She inhaled, and she could smell Wren’s arousal and need, warring with the severity of her own. Her hands left her breasts and eased down to the button on her jeans. “You could go slow for me, couldn’t you, Apex Prime?” She popped the button, easing the zipper down before she bit her bottom lip and made a show of pulling on the satiny edge of her now exposed panties. “Don’t you want to fuck me, Wren? I want your cock inside me so badly. Do you wanna see how much I need you?” Flat on her back and staring up at the ceiling, she slid her fingers inside her panties.

  “Fffffffuck,” Wren snarled.

  Her clit was so sensitive that when her fingers brushed over it, her knees involuntarily drew up and her body lurched as all the breath left her in a harsh pant.

  Wren was on her so fast he blurred. One of his hands gripped her wrist, pulling her hand from her pants. The other gripped her free hand and pinned it above her head as his lust-filled eyes bore into hers. “Goddamn it, Ryka! Do you know what the fuck you’re doing?” he growled, his eyes intense.

  She grinned up at him. “I’m trying to get claimed, mated, ffffucked!”

  He snarled and released her so fast she thought he was leaving. Instead, he jerked to his knees, ripping his shirt over his head.

  She saw it then, the golden glow in his eyes, the elongating of his incisors. His lion was there, pushing his control, and she loved that she’d done that to him. It was a heady thing to have the power to bring an Apex like Wren Prime to his knees. Her eyes dipped to his hands when they lowered his zipper.

  “I’m in control,” he snarled, which belied his jerky movements and tense frame. She wondered if he was trying to convince her or himself. Regardless, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.

  Wren backed off the bed and reached out, slowly peeling Ryka’s jeans and panties down her legs. Her heart was a franticly beating wild thing now, and her thoughts flew to the seriousness of the moment. She was about to be claimed by her mate. She was about to tie herself to Wren so fully, they’d never be able to undo it. She expected fear or trepidation, but there was none. The only thing she felt was her wolf’s excited nipping and her own enthusiastic impatience.

  Ryka drank in the sight of Wren as he towered over her. He was a golden god, all bronze skin and thickly-corded muscle that bunched and flexed as she watched him stare down at her with what she could tell was barely contained restraint.

  “Now or never, Ryka. You need to decide if you want to back out, because once I touch you, it’s all over. You’re mine!”

  “I’ve always been yours,” she offered solemnly. “I’m not running. Come and claim me…mate.”

&nb
sp; She expected his body to cover hers, she expected soft kissing and gentle words. That’s not what she got. No, Wren dropped to his knees and gripped her hips, yanking her body down the bed until her ass was at the very edge of the mattress. There was no warning, no foreplay, no preamble. His tongue speared into her wet folds and she cried out, fingers curling in his hair.

  ***

  Be gentle, be gentle, be fucking gentle! Nothing in his life had ever been harder than keeping his control in this moment. Wren’s tongue drove into his mate’s pussy and it was heaven. She tasted better than she smelled, and his lion lunged at the surface, wanting free. His hands tightened on her thighs as he struggled to keep his beast at bay. Ryka misunderstood and let her legs fall wider open, and Wren pulled his tongue free from her to wrap his lips around her clit where he suckled with fierce determination. It didn’t take long. Ryka cried out, her legs squeezing his shoulders as her body seized. He had to be inside of her, now. Had to claim her, had to fuck her like he needed to breathe. Standing, he didn’t even remember ripping open the front of his jeans and shoving them down his legs. No, his focus was on his mate, his Ryka. The sight of her laid out before him stole his breath and felt better than all the Christmas mornings of his youth. Mine!

  Clenching his teeth, he was careful as he gripped her thighs and aligned their hips. His cock jerked as it probed her sopping entrance, and then he was inching inside of her, his eyes locked on the sight of his cock entering her body. His balls jerked up and he dropped his head back, letting the growl that had been fighting its way up rattle his chest. She was wet and tight and perfect. Fuck! Had anything ever felt better? No! Once he was fully seated in her, he lifted his eyes to hers. Ryka was staring at him with such trust and adoration that he had to swallow down the emotion that suddenly clogged his throat. She’d never know how much she meant to him, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying to show her every single day.