Beta’s Challenge (10 page)

She was just about to twist the doorknob when two strong arms wrapped around her waist and brought her body back against a strong solid mass of man flesh.

Slowly, oh so slowly, Tia turned in those strong arms to see who held her. When she looked up, she was staring into auburn eyes still bright with laughter. Upon further inspection, Tia soon realized those eyes were the only thing about that body that held laughter because the rest of it was seriously ‘
hard’
. Tia leaned back a little further into that hard body and luxuriated in the feel and smell.

Tomas obviously loved the feel of her warm, voluptuous body pressing against his. His dick was hard as steel. Tia, deciding she owed him for scaring the shit out of her, wiggled her ass on his rock hard dick a little for payback.

Tomas growled deep in his throat and said, “Keep that up woman and I’ll fuck you right here in Tara’s foyer in front of everyone.”

“Serves you right for scaring the shit out of me, however, that could be fun,” Tia teased, wiggling her ass again with a little more pressure this time just to hear Tomas suck in a deep breath.

Tomas, whose control was quickly ebbing, backed away from Tia and pushed her arm’s length away. “We have more important matters to deal with now and lusting after your juicy ass will have to wait for later.” He turned away from her and headed back into the living room where he’d left his clothes.

The sight of all that tawny-brown, silky skin over defined muscles and the size of his cock had Tia panting like a bitch in heat. His ass made her think of being blind artist who was using Tomas as her model. She was more than willing to rub, squeeze, and feel every line and curve to make sure she got everything perfect.

 “Down girl. We have work to do here,” Tia barely heard Tara say as they settled down to begin discussing plans to take Mikal down and save the pack.

Tia rushed around the corner just as Tomas bent over to pick up his pants. The sight of his chiseled ass with legs spread just enough to get a glimpse of his sac and now flaccid member was almost enough to make Tia faint. Her knees gave out and she sat down heavily on the floor next to the couch.

Tomas looked over his shoulder and smiled a mischievous smile. He knew what he was doing and could smell that it was working. Tia was definitely interested.

Once Tomas was dressed, he joined the rest of the group. After picking Tia up off the floor, he settling her in his lap in the armchair and they all began planning how they were going to fix the mess with the pack.

Tara looked at Gabriel, who sat next to her on the couch with intensity in his eyes she prayed he never directed at her. “Isn’t there anyone you can talk to about this matter? You can’t just waltz in there and think to challenge Mikal with everyone there backing him.”

“That’s just it, Tara,” Tomas interrupted.  “According to Sasha, the others are
against
Mikal but are too afraid to speak out or do anything to fix this.”

“I know law,” Tara said. “I know there is something we can do.”

Gabriel sighed and took both Tara’s hands in his. “No, baby. Pack law is different as I’ve already told you.” Gabriel began rubbing his thumbs over the back of Tara’s hands in soothing circles. “Besides, what are you going to do? Walk in the court and tell the judge there is a pack of shape-shifting wolves living not far away and they need legal counsel?”

With a defeated sigh of her own, Tara said, “I didn’t think of that. It just makes me so mad that Mikal is getting away with the things he is doing to the females of your pack.”

“My former pack,” Gabriel corrected.

“Whatever,” Tara quipped. “Semantics.”

“Gabriel, can’t you contact Marcus, the Alpha of the St. Ignatius pack, for advice?” Adrian asked.

“Yes, Gabriel. Don’t have a decent relationship with Marcus?” Tomas added, then looked at Tia still sitting on his lap and said, “Be still woman or I’ll drop you on that beautiful ass of yours.”

Tia gasped with indignation. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Tomas tilted his head, raised one eyebrow, spread his legs and pushed. Tia hit the floor and bounced.

“I can’t believe you did that. You are so going to pay for that, Fido,” Tia threatened, getting up and dusting off her ass.

“Woof, woof,” Tomas said.

“Enough, you two,” Tara said, frustrated that she couldn’t solve this puzzle. Gabriel took Tara’s hands in his again and continued rubbing them gently. “I’ll contact Marcus and ask him for assistance. The fact that he has committed such atrocious crimes against the females of the pack is reason enough by pack law to have him put down. If this goes badly, we may need backup. Marcus will agree with me on this one. He won’t like the fact that Mikal fails to treat the females with the respect they deserve and will be madder than hell,” Gabriel said, getting up from the couch and heading to the stairs to grab his cell from the bedside table in Tara’s bedroom.

 Tara, Toya, and Tia went into the kitchen to cook while Gabriel, Adrian, and Tomas sat in the living room strategizing in conference with Marcus. As suspected, Marcus was livid once Gabriel informed him of the situation.

Tia sneaked a glance over her shoulder at Tomas. He caught her looking and winked. He knew it would annoy the hell out of her but did it anyway.

“You’ve been keeping me in the dark. Why didn’t you tell me?” Tia asked Tara and Toya as she took the toast out of the oven and placed it on plates.

“I just found out myself last night,” Toya stated as she cut up the vegetables, cheese and ham to make omelets for everyone. Cooking always calmed Toya’s and everyone needed to eat. Hell, it was going to be a long ass day and there was no sense being hungry as well as agitated.

“And I only found out two days ago but I didn’t believe it until like you, I was staring down at a full grown wolf in my living room. Speaking of which, how the hell did you get from in front of the couch to the top of my kitchen island and no one saw you move?” Tara asked.

“Don’t start, Tara,” Tia said, pissed that Tara had brought that up again.

They laughed and talked while continuing to prepare breakfast.

Sitting in Tara’s kitchen listening to the ladies debate about what their actual plan of attack should be, Gabriel didn’t feel it necessary to inform them the plan had already been decided by himself and Marcus over an hour ago. That would lead to another round of arguing with Tara and man, did his woman love to argue. After the arguing was over, though, she would make up with just as much fire as she’d used in the argument.

Gabriel he felt his dick start to harden at the thought of their make- up sex. He was so gone into his fantasy of sinking back into Tara’s hot, juicy pussy that the sudden vibrations in his jeans pocket damn near caused him to flip backwards off the stool he was currently perched on. Seeing the unfamiliar number on the display, he answered with a snarl, “
What?
”

It was only when he heard Sasha’s whispered response that he tempered his tone. “
Sasha, where are you?”
he demanded as he stalked from the kitchen, ignoring Tara’s questioning look as he passed her.

“I …I’m not sure, Gabriel. I finally got away from Mikal. I ran all night through streams so that he couldn’t track my scent. I’m so tired that nothing makes sense anymore,” Sasha said, sounding exhausted and scared. 

“Okay calm down, Sasha. I want you to call this number: 773-3698. It’s the number for a cab company. Give them this address, 1328 New Briar Lane, and tell the cabbie I will pay the fare once you arrive. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Disconnecting the call Gabriel felt a soul deep relief that Sasha had gotten away, but with her gone and Mikal no doubt hot on her trail, he knew that the time clock had just gotten shorter.

Gabriel returned to the kitchen, sat back on the stool, and relayed the conversation to the group. All they could do now was wait.

Tia, Toya, and Tara were cleaning the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Before any of the guys could move, Tara was wiping her hands on a dishtowel and opening the door.

On the other side was the most beautiful woman Tara had ever seen outside of a magazine or on TV. She was about a head taller than Tara with cocoa brown skin and naturally curly auburn hair. She had the same silver-gray eyes as Gabriel but hers had a tinge of sky blue around the edges. She was lithe and curvy and she was also sporting a black eye from hell, along with bruises and scratches that covered her arms and neck as if she had been choked repeatedly.

Dayum, somebody had really whooped her ass.

Gabriel, Tomas and Adrian rounded the corner just as Sasha swayed to the right and pitched forward, nose-diving to the ceramic tile floor. Tomas moved faster than the eye and was there to catch her before she hit the floor.

“Take her upstairs to the guest room and lay her down, Tomas. I’ll bring her something warm to eat and something to drink.” Tara said as she hurried back into the kitchen to get Sasha something to eat and drink.

She put everything on a serving tray and headed toward the stairs. Passing the living room, she noticed Gabriel back on the couch talking with Adrian. Tomas was not there. Not really paying it much attention, she walked up the stairs to the guest room and stopped short.

The door was cracked and she heard Tomas’ smooth voice coming from inside. “It’s going to be all right, Sasha. I will keep my promise to you. I will take care of you and your cubs and keep you from harm. I will never let anything or anyone else cause you pain. This I promise with my life.” After a brief pause, Tomas’ voice came again. “Come on in Tara. I know you are there.”

Tara walked into the room and set the tray down on the bedside table. She looked at Tomas holding Sasha’s hand and decided it really wasn’t any of her business. She turned back to the tray and began preparing the food for Sasha. “She is my sister, Tara,” came Tomas’ low almost silent confession. “I left my sister in the hands of a madman…”

Tomas couldn’t finish. The fury was blinding him and taking away the air in his lungs. Tara took the couple of steps separating them and wrapped her arms around Tomas’ neck. She laid her head atop his and rubbed soothing circles along his back.