Night Fall on Dark Mountain Read online

  Alec shrugged. “Looks like it.”

  The old man winked. “I’ll try not miss what I’m aiming at.” Then he crawled to the opposite end of the pew and bobbed up to aim his weapon and fire.

  Weaponless, most of the people huddled behind the pews while the battle continued to rage around them. A few of the men, including several of the elders, were tearing at their clothing, letting the change overtake them so they could join the fight. But one by one, the masked men were taken down by the vampires’ bullets, their horrible screams echoing like demons from hell in the close confines of the room.

  Alec tore off his uniform shirt and raised his weapon above the pew to fire three blind shots well above the heads of anyone behind the table, and then tossed away his weapon. He leapt up on the pew and launched himself, transforming in mid-air. He landed on two feet, still sentient, behind the table and lunged at Todd McGwyre who rounded on him with his weapon raised.

  However, something knocked Alec sideways and an explosion of light and gunpowder, so close the sound rang in his ears, jerked back the body that had barreled into him. Another explosion, this time from over the top of the table, happened so quick, Alec only had time to roll against the table and hope the bullets stopped.

  When the powder cleared, there was a deadly silence. At his feet lay Joe Garcia, gasping and holding his side—but alive.

  He glanced up and found Stasia standing above him, a revolver dangling from her fingers. Following her frozen gaze he saw Todd, his back arching as spittle and foam spilled from between his gaping lips, a long wheezing breath sucking into his lungs while a rose of blood bloomed on his chest.

  Alec’s bloodlust faded, and he stepped between her and the sight of her brother’s dying form to take the weapon from her hand. “Stasia, don’t watch.”

  Her stare lifted to meet his gaze. “I killed him. I killed my brother.”

  Around them, the vampires gathered and lifted the elders to their feet, setting the tables upright and dragging the bodies from the room. Max walked up behind Stasia, rubbing his wrists. He slipped an arm around her back and leaned close to whisper in her ear. Then he planted a kiss on her cheek and met Alec’s gaze.

  Stasia blinked and her gaze narrowed for second, before her gaze finally seemed to focus, and she launched herself into Alec’s arms.

  “What the hell did he just say to you?” Alec said, as he squeezed her tight.

  “He said you were going to buy me a collar.”

  *

  Much later the overlaird’s gavel pounded the old oak table, ending the meeting. The townsfolk spilled out of the building and headed to their vehicles.

  Alec waited for the vampires. Despite their aid that night, he still had to escort them out of town. The law was the law.

  Max walked beside his Pia, holding her hand, followed by Joe Garcia, who was walking on his own already, despite the wound to his side. Navarro and Dylan O’Hara were still making nice with the overlaird—or at least as nice as vampires and werewolves could ever be. They didn’t shake hands at their leave-taking, but all fangs were sheathed.

  “I still want to know how you guys just happened to be here tonight,” Alec said to the group.

  Emmy O’Hara curved her arm inside his and giggled.

  Fighting his natural instinct to recoil from the curvy blonde, Alec took a deep breath and relaxed—concentrating on the lively color in her cheeks and the light glittering in her eyes. Max had been right—vamp or not, Emmy’s effervescence was hard to resist.

  “It’s the funniest story ever,” she said. “You know, Pia and I thought we were being so clever, we’d fly in to rescue Max and Joe and fly back out, and the rest of the guys would never know. I mean, we had a cover story and answered our cell phones when they called—”

  “Emmy…” Pia rolled her dark eyes. “They met us at the airport. Your overlaird called them here for a meeting. He’d gotten wind of Darcy’s murder by the boys in the Nantahala clan and wanted to let the vampires know he had matters in hand.”

  “The guys were shocked to their boots when they saw us walk into that airplane hangar.” Emmy rubbed her bottom. “Have to tell you my Dylan was mad as a hornet. Not that that’s a bad thing,” she said with a saucy smile.

  Alec shook his head. “I still can’t believe Navarro’s willing to lend us the services of Dr. Deats and his team.”

  “Navarro’s deep,” Max said. “If he’s willing to share technology that will help our population thrive, he must have a long-range plan in mind. Don’t you think for a minute this is the end of it—or that there won’t be some pretty long strings attached.”

  Alec raised his eyebrows. “You sound like you like him.”

  Max scowled. “He’s a damn vampire…but I respect him.”

  “Well, I guess that’s good enough for me, too,” Alec murmured. “Man, I’m sorry for the rash of shit I gave you about—” he halted when he realized who was still clinging to his arm, “um, them.”

  Emmy lifted a finely arched brow and grinned. “Didn’t think you’d like any of us, did you?”

  “You saved our asses. It’s hard to hold a grudge in the face of that.”

  “Yeah, we did. And believe you me, you’ll be reminded about it every time we see you.”

  Alec faked a growl. “Plan on visiting often?”

  Her laugh tinkled like tiny bells. “Had you worried though.”

  Max lifted his chin toward Stasia who was standing near the edge of the gravel parking lot with Amos at her side. “So, what are going to do with her, little brother?”

  He sighed. “I’m not sure. She betrayed me.”

  “Think you can get past that?”

  Alec’s gaze swept over her body, remembering the offering she’d made when she’d laid her trap and felt his lips twitch into a grin. “Maybe, after a little more training.”

  Chapter Nine

  ‡

  Alec turned off the faucets and stepped out of the shower, feeling a little less tense than when he’d entered the stall. Hell had come pretty damn close to setting up shop on Dark Mountain tonight.

  He toweled his hair and rubbed the terry cloth across his chest, shifting his attention to the little problem awaiting him in his bedroom. What was he going to do about Stasia?

  With the problems between him and Max behind him, he thought he understood how she’d gotten herself deeply ensnared in Todd’s dangerous plan. Blood ties could wield a strong sense of loyalty and duty.

  But could she ever feel as tightly bound to him?

  Remembering what he’d learned about the key to unlocking her passion, he thought perhaps the same lessons could be extended beyond the bedroom. Was the application of structure and control the answer?

  Whether it was or not, the thought of the lessoning was having an invigorating effect on his cock. Already it lifted from between his legs, filling, tensing—aching for the silken warmth of her slick sheath.

  Wrapping the towel around his middle, he opened the door and strode into the darkened bedroom just as Stasia lowered the telephone onto its cradle.

  “Your sister okay?” he asked.

  His weresight adjusting quickly to the absence of light, he saw her nod. “That was Amos. He said she’s already in bed, and she’s welcome to stay all night.”

  “Good. We have a few things to straighten out.” He kept any inflection from his voice, unwilling to give her a hint of the direction of his thoughts.

  She shivered inside his robe, rubbing her arms as though racked by a sudden chill.

  “Take it off, Stasia.”

  Her breath caught, but she didn’t bother to ask a clarifying question. Instead, she unbelted the robe and stood, letting it slip to the ground to puddle at her feet.

  Alex grabbed the front of his towel and tore it away, bracing his feet apart. “It’s the right time, now.”

  “What?”

  He didn’t answer, letting her search her mind for the thread of this conversation. When she found
it, her back straightened.

  “Crawl to me on your hands and knees,” he commanded.

  For a moment, she looked as though she’d refuse. Her mouth tightened, her hands curled into fists. Then her gaze dropped below his waist.

  Knowing she was staring at his stiffening cock, Alec waited for her to make up her mind which course she would take. He was ready for disobedience, but he hoped she’d choose to comply with his command. He really wanted her mouth on him tonight—and he needed to trust she wouldn’t sink fangs into anything important.

  Swallowing loud enough he heard the gulp, she slowly knelt, then fell forward on her hands.

  His thighs tightened, and he tried like hell to suppress his delight as she slowly crawled across the carpet toward him.

  When she reached his feet, she sat back on her haunches and waited for his next instruction.

  “Suck me off, Stasi. Make me forget every other woman I’ve ever known.”

  A little mewl broke from her throat, and she reached trembling hands to his thighs.

  She made delicate glides up and down his thighs, her fingers combing through the sparse hairs covering his skin. First his outer thighs, then inside, the touch so delicate he shivered.

  “Don’t be afraid to handle me,” he whispered.

  Her hands burrowed between his legs, scooping up his balls. She leaned close, her hot breath brushing his ball sac. Then her tongue reached out and stroked over both stones.

  Alec tunneled his fingers into her soft hair and curved them around her head, not guiding, just caressing. He wanted her to decide where to go from there, wanted to learn how much she knew about pleasing a man.

  Stasia groaned and opened her mouth to suck on one ball.

  With her tongue laving it inside the hot cavern of her mouth, Alex squeezed shut his eyes.

  Her tongue continued to lick all around while her mouth suctioned softly.

  “That’s it, baby.” He couldn’t stop the praise from spilling from his lips.

  When she swallowed his whole scrotum deep inside her mouth, his fingers fisted in her hair to hold her there so he could savor the start of the buildup to his release.

  Suddenly, her teeth pinched the skin at the back of his balls, stopping his momentum cold. His eyes flew open, and he stared down at her where she knelt. “Stasi?” he asked, his voice betraying his worry.

  Her gaze was narrowed, and he didn’t have any doubt in his mind she was capable of munching on his oysters if she so chose. What the hell was she doing? What did she want?

  “Don’t even think about it, or I’ll beat your ass until you can’t sit for a week.”

  Stasia’s eyes widened, and he didn’t miss the scent of her arousal wafting thick and delicious in the air around them.

  “When you’re done sucking me off,” he said, keeping his voice cold and mean, “I think I’m going to warm your ass with my hand. So much more intimate than a belt, don’t you think? Just worry about that for the next few minutes. Enough with my balls, suck my cock, she-bitch!”

  To his relief, she let go of his balls then kissed and licked the skin she’d abused with her teeth, before smoothing her lips up the side of his shaft.

  He widened his stance and set his hands on his hips, assuming a more powerful posture when he was swearing up a storm inside. Fuck, yeah!

  As she reached the plump mushroom-shaped head, she paused and met his gaze. “May I suck you off now?” she asked, a little smile curving the corners of her lips upward.

  “Add a ‘master’ to that request and I might just let you have that privilege.”

  Her eyelids dropped, and her head tilted to the side. The look she gave him next had his toes curling into the carpet. “May I suck you off now, master?” she asked, her eyelashes batting innocently.

  Alec growled deep in his throat and felt his muscles tense and hair sprout from his were follicles as the beast inside him roused. “Hell no,” he rumbled with his beast’s voice, “I’m going to fuck your mouth. Let me show you the difference, baby.”

  Stasia quivered at his feet as his flanks were clothed in golden hair. He’d halted his transformation, probably to keep his ability to order her around, but she didn’t care. The beast was the one she wanted to play with tonight.

  She tugged the thickening hairs surrounding his enormous cock and wet them with her tongue, ruffling against the direction of growth to tease him.

  Then she gripped his cock hard, to let him know the dutiful bitch still had claws, and guided his cock to her mouth. She knew he loved her lips, because he’d sucked her upper lip many times moaning about watching it close around his cock. She took her time doing it now to tease and inflame him past control.

  She guided his plump head into her mouth and let her upper lip drag around the crown, peeking beneath her eyelashes to gauge his approval.

  His lengthened snout quivered and flared, sniffing her scent. His fangs were bared in a wicked grimace. She hoped those gleaming white incisors would chew on something soft of hers later.

  But now it was her turn to tempt the beast into exploding all over her in a frenzy of fucking.

  She widened her jaws and sank on his cock, taking him as far into her throat as possible, then bobbed on him, suctioning hard as she drew off his long shaft.

  His chest rose and fell, his breath gusting, panting. Her hands slid around the base of his satiny cock and squeezed as she sucked. She sighed, content for now to tongue his shaft and suction hard on his cock as she built his release.

  However, his hands fisted in her hair to control her movement. He growled, flexing his hips to drive his cock inside her throat, and she remembered what he’d said about fucking her mouth.

  She braced herself, her hands sliding over fur to clutch the notches of his hips, her jaws widening, achingly, to accept his deep thrusts. Gagging each time he rammed deep, she accepted his domination, remembering to breathe through her nose. Her own body ripened, juices sliding from her cunt to slick her thighs, her nipples drawing to stiff, aching points.

  “Are you wet for me, bitch?” his deep, growling voice bit out.

  Murmuring her assent, she squirmed her hips.

  “Think I need to see for myself.” He yanked on her hair, pulling her off his cock. “Present your ass to me.”

  His fingers let go of her hair, and she turned around on her hands and knees, lifting her quivering bottom into the air.

  The golden wolf knelt behind her, and his claws dug into her cheeks. Then his hot breath washed over her moist folds.

  She couldn’t help the sucking sound her pussy made as it convulsed—her sex begged for him to fill her. Stasia bit her lips to prevent voicing the same desire.

  Then his long tongue lapped her from clit to asshole, and then burrowed into her folds, seeking the cream of her delight.

  His growls vibrated on her pussy, his facial fur chafed delicate flesh, and she gasped and squirmed again, trying to encourage him to lick deeper.

  When his body covered hers, the coarse fur abrading her bottom and back, she widened her knees, waiting for his huge cock to find her center.

  But he drew away and nipped her ass.

  Before she had a chance to complain, an open-palmed swat landed on her rump, and Stasia howled. Another, harder than the first, struck the other cheek. “Oh Christ, fuck me now!”

  Her rolled her to her back and climbed onto her, straddling her thighs, and she thought she’d never seen anything sexier than her golden wolf. The shining gold discs of his eyes stared down at her, and Stasia moaned. She brought her hands to her breasts and lifted them. “Please, they ache.”

  His head canted, and she wondered how much of the man remained with the beast. She arched her back to lift her chest higher and plucked her nipples to tempt him.

  His snout descended, and he nuzzled the soft center of her breast. Then his teeth latched onto her nipple and tugged.

  Stasia’s toes curled as he chewed and lapped her sensitive areolas. When the one breast
had taken everything she could stand, she nudged his head toward the other and suffered his sweet torture until her cunt pulsed with need. “Fuck me, Alec. Fuck me,” she whined.

  His heavy body slid farther down her legs as his head licked a tantalizing path down her sternum, across her flexing abdomen, dipping into her belly button, then lower. When he reached the fur covering her mound, a rumble rocked his chest, and he lashed out his tongue to spear between her wet folds, grazing her swollen clit.

  She arched off the floor and tried to part her legs, but he didn’t seem to understand she needed to open herself, spread her legs for his exploration and her pleasure.

  She shoved at his head and wriggled, but he just growled and licked at the top of her pussy.

  Her clitoris grew impossibly engorged, and she sobbed her frustration. She didn’t want to come this way. She needed him inside her. Needed him to overwhelm her senses and her body with his powerful body and thick cock and mark her forever with his scent.

  She didn’t realize she’d voiced her need aloud until he crawled to the side and urged her to her knees again. He kissed her pussy, licked it until her delicate inner lips quivered. Then he drew back. “This is the only cock that will ever fuck you again. Say it!”

  Stasia’s heart burst with joy. “Your cock’s the only one I’ll ever fuck again, Master.”

  He nuzzled her cunt with the soft fur of his snout. “Open for me baby. Let me make you mine.”

  Stasia couldn’t halt the sobs that racked her chest as she leaned forward on her arms. Moans, one on top of the other, broke free while his furry thighs rasped the tender insides of hers and his chest warmed her back.

  As his cock nudged into her inflamed pussy, she hiccoughed and tilted her hips just so, aiding the straight thrust of his cock as he sank into her silken depths.

  The first raw flexes of his hips drove him deep into her clasping cunt, butting her womb. Each stroke dragged his thick shaft along her inner walls, building a friction that threatened to erupt in a raging fire, but every time she drew close to bursting into flame, he slowed his motions.