Deep Wolves (16 page)

I was about to stand up to greet him when he held his hand up to stop me.

“Please,” he said to me. “You’ve already done enough. Sit. Relax.”

He took a seat next to all of us. His calm demeanor was warm and inviting. It was nice to know that there was at least one other person in the cave that didn’t mind our presence.

“My name is Rio,” he said.

“Yes, Sosa told us of you,” Vaughn said. “Call me Vaughn. This is Ariel. And he’s Irvine.”

“Ah, yes, the hunter.”

“You’ve heard of me,” Irvine asked.

“You have quite the reputation, Mr. Gold. You should know that.”

“And what reputation would that be?” Irvine raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s just say that I was surprised to learn that you were responsible for saving my life and not ending it.”

Rio and Irvine smiled at one another. Then Rio turned to me and gave me a curious look.

“It’s not often we have humans in here,” he said.

“Not often?” I asked. “So you do have humans in here?”

Rio laughed then started to shake his head.

“A human, a hunter and a lone wolf,” he looked at all of us. “I should say that this has never happened before.”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Irvine said.

“And nothing says desperate like risking your lives for the Alpha of the Capes because he wanted candy. Let me be the first to say that I apologize for his behavior.”

“Apologize?” I asked.

“Look at him.”

We all turned and stared at Sosa at the side of the room. He laid on his back while the two women lavished him with their tongues. Their bodies pressed up against him, each of them taking turns to please every inch of his body. Sosa’s eyes were closed and there was a grin on his face. The light from the torches in the cave illuminated a man that looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Sosa only believes in one thing,” Rio told us. “Being a wolf is a gift. So he lives his life just like that. He indulges every single one of his instincts when he can. That’s all he knows. He doesn’t care about the lives of others. Even his brethren are secondary to him, except for his queens. If you were to ask him, he would say he’s carefree. Others would say he’s sinful. Regardless of how you view it, that’s what you must understand about him.”

“Why are you telling us this?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t come here without reason. I just wanted to make it clear to you that he’s not like most Alphas.”

“He seems… indifferent.”

“Indifferent,” Rio let out a short laugh. “I’ve never heard it put that way.”

“How did a wolf like that become Alpha?”

“Don’t let his facade fool you. There’s a power that lies within him. Some would say it is his instincts and desires that fuel him.”

“So, he’s the reluctant king,” Irvine said. “A wolf that would sit upon the throne and simply use the crown as a means to all of the indulgences surrounding him.”

“That’s usually where I come in.”

“You?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

“An Alpha of a clan has certain… duties. There are obligations that come with being a leader. But Sosa… He prefers to forget about these obligations when its convenient.”

“So you’re like his counselor?”

“If you want to call it that.”

“So, what do you think about all of this?”

Rio sighed and we all turned our attention away from Sosa. He thought about what to say for a moment then slowly started to shake his head.

“The evidence is apparent,” he said. “I thought it was just a bad feeling I had. But I’ve never seen the Nakas act like this before. Something
is
happening. And something must be done.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Rio shrugged. “The Nakas have the largest stake in New York. Their territory spreads across the entire city. But they’ve never overstepped their bounds. They were peaceful. There was a time when worrying about them taking the initiative and spreading would be seen as laughable. Now I’m not so sure…”

We were in a bad spot. Listening to Rio made it seem like the worst was still ahead of us. And even then, Sosa still hadn’t promised to join us in our attempt to thwart the Nakas.

“You know all of the facts,” Irvine said. “What have you advised him to do?”

“Sosa will agree,” he said. “Even he knows that this can’t be ignored. But there is the matter of something you promised him.”

“The second favor,” I said.

“That’s correct. He had you risk your lives for something ridiculous. And you went out and did it anyway.”

“Do you know what he wants? Do you know what we have to do?”

“I never know what he wants. I can only tell him what he
needs
to do. Because you so easily agreed to his first request, he will expect you to comply with the second.”

There was no getting out of it. Sosa’s second favor was hanging over our head like a blade just waiting to fall. I was beginning to fear that it was some impossible task. And this was all just to get him on our side. We had no choice.

“Regardless of Sosa’s favor, I am still in your debt,” Rio said to all of us. “While the rest of our clan feasts on the indulgences of man, you sit here and wait at the whim of a wolf. We have provisions.”

“Food?” I asked. “You have food here? Food that I can eat?”

“Yes,” Rio laughed. “We are not complete savages. Please.”

I stood up immediately along with Vaughn and Irvine. We followed Rio through the cavern into a small den to the side. Unlike the rest of the cavern, it was decorated with shelves, tables and chairs. All of them were stocked with supplies like the grocery store we just escaped from. Large wooden barrels were filled to the brim with packages of food.

I took a step closer to one of the barrels and lifted up one of the boxes of food.

“He likes to indulge,” Rio said. “The clan hunts these forests for most of its food but Sosa likes to have some of the things that men do. Food is one of them. But he is the only one. Please.”

Rio held his hand out as if to offer me whatever I wanted. I looked around and at all of the supplies available to us. It was like my prayers had been answered. After taking several things from the shelves, I sat at the table with Vaughn, Irvine and Rio and proceeded to fill my stomach. My mouth was watering with every bite. It wasn’t the best food in the world. Canned goods and pre-packaged treats. But it was one of the few highlights of our trip so far. The bottled water tasted like it came from an oasis.

“Do you still want a slice of pizza?” Vaughn asked me as I ravenously picked through a can of pasta.

“You said you would get it for me,” I smiled at him, my face no doubt looking like a mess.

“I did,” he laughed. “But this buys me a few days at least.”

I sat at the table and enjoyed my impromptu dinner with the rest of them. We laughed and joked about all of the food, the task at hand at the back of our minds. Rio was polite and made all of us feel welcome in his home. We were in a cave in the middle of the forest in the Bronx. Away from any sign of civilization and even farther away from the place I called home. But at this moment, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. For just a moment, I could smile and be happy.

“Enjoying yourselves, are you?”

I turned my head and saw that Sosa had entered the den with his women. The signature smile was still upon his face, his appetite still burning inside of him.

“Let them eat in peace,” Rio said to him.

“They saved your life, not mine, Rio.”

“Our home is open to them. They are not a threat. It would be wise to let them regain their health.”

“Relax, Rio. I’m not here to kick them out. Please, sit, eat. Regain your strength. You’re going to need it.”

He turned to me and narrowed his eyes. He was eyeballing me, staring at me in a way that made me feel uneasy. I turned my attention back to my food but I could still feel his eyes upon me.

“I will speak with you when you are finished,” he said. “Take your time. Rio, make sure they see me when they are done.”

“Of course.”

Rio bowed his head to the Alpha of the Capes, who made his way out of the den.

“The second request,” I sighed. “He’s probably going to tell us what it is after this.”

“You’ll be fine, Ms. Everhart,” Irvine tried to reassure me. “We’ve been through worse. This will be no different.”

I nodded then continued to eat. My stomach was filling. The food didn’t taste as good as it did before. Just as we had gotten a moment to relax, Sosa would ask even more of us. With my thoughts divided, I did my best to enjoy the rest of this moment.

Chapter 17

My stomach was full. The food inside of it began swimming around. Now that our meal was over, we had to discuss Sosa’s second favor. There wasn’t any time to waste. Rio led the three of us through the cave and toward a curtain that hung over the side. He moved it to the side and led is into the small opening.

“Welcome to my den,” Sosa said. “Rio.”

Rio excused himself and shut the curtain behind us.

“And you,” Sosa said as he pointed at Irvine. “You can excuse yourself, hunter. This is between me and the odd couple.”

I looked at Irvine, wondering what Sosa was up to.

“I assure you that they aren’t in any more danger than they are already. Now, if you please.”

Irvine nodded to me and quickly exited the den. I stood next to Vaughn, my arms wrapped around his as I leaned into him.

The den was much more luxurious than the rest of the cavern. Sosa was resting upon the fur of an animal while the two women with him laid next to him. The lights were low but I could still see how differently it was decorated.

“Do you like it?” he asked. “This is my sanctuary. And my playroom as well.”

He grinned to one of the women next to him and passionately kissed her.

“What is this about?” Vaughn asked with some frustration in his voice.

“Where are my manners?” Sosa said. “First, let me introduce you to these lovely women. This white-haired vixen is Jynx. And this little raven is Avina. Jynx, Avina, please make them comfortable.”

The two women stood up and made their way toward us. Jynx got close to me and I jerked myself back, leaning in closer to Vaughn.

“You’re a shy one,” she giggled. “Please, do as master says. Relax. You have nothing to worry from us.”

There was a devious look in her eyes. The tanned-skin, white-haired girl took one of my hands and slowly pulled me away from Vaughn. When I turned to him, Avina was pulling him in the other direction.

“That’s it,” Sosa encouraged me. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. All of the danger is outside of the cave. In here, you can relax.”

“The second favor,” I said. “What is it?”

“Business, business, business,” he sighed at me. “I’ll get to that when it’s time. For now, just listen.”

Jynx suddenly reached for the bottom of my shirt and slowly started to lift it up. I put my hands down and stopped her. I turned to Sosa and that look in his eyes was still there.

“We have no need for clothes here,” he said. “You’ve been traveling in and out of the forest so much that you’re practically filthy. Why don’t you clean yourself up a bit? I promise I’ll return your clothes to you.”

He grinned at me. I looked at Vaughn and he nodded his head. It was true. I was in desperate need of a bath but cleanliness was the last thing on my mind. I didn’t care that I was a mess. There was no way of getting out of this though. Sosa seemed adamant about not letting us leave without having his way.

I reluctantly allowed Jynx to continue. She lifted my shirt above my head. Avina did the same to Vaughn’s torn clothes. I wrapped my arms around my body in embarrassment.

“You have a nice body,” Jynx softly growled at me. “The things I could do to you.”

She brought her face close to mine and stuck her tongue out just inches from my flesh. Vaughn took a step toward us and stopped her from getting any closer.

“My, my, my,” Jynx giggled. “The strong and jealous wolf is very protective of his little lamb. I like it.”

“Now take the rest of it off,” Sosa said.

I hesitated for a moment but Jynx continued without any further protest from me. She lowered my jeans down my ankles and Avina did the same to Vaughn. I stood in front of Sosa in nothing but my underwear, Vaughn already completely naked.

“Keep going,” he muttered.

I cupped my hands around my breasts as Jynx slowly began to remove my bra. I held my legs close together as she struggled to pull my panties down.

“Okay,” I said. “Now what do you want?”

“Such beautiful skin. So soft and tender. I envy Shadow for being the one wolf who gets to lay his hands upon you… Go over there,” Sosa said as he pointed to the corner of his den. “Please, clean yourselves off.”

Because the lighting was so low, I didn’t notice the steam rising from the side. I squinted my eyes and took a step closer. I could see water pouring from the side of the wall. It led down into a small spring. The water was bubbling softly upon the surface.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “It looks hotter than it actually is. I enjoy it quite often, even when I’m not in my fur.”

I turned to Vaughn, still suspicious about what Sosa was up to. He took my hand and slowly led me toward the spring.

“Go ahead,” Sosa continued, motioning for us to use the spring with his hand. “No tricks. I promise.”

Jynx and Avina were smiling just the same. Vaughn led me into the spring and together we sat in the water. The warm bubbles massaged my skin. I felt the filth of the forest beginning to wash away. Even my wounds felt like they were being soothed. While I sat in the water, I massaged Vaughn and washed away the dirt from his body. He did the same to me. Together we cleaned ourselves off.

“Such a pretty picture,” Sosa said. “A wolf and a lamb enjoying their private little moment together in the peace of the springs. It feels good, doesn’t it? It’s okay. You can admit it.”

I ignored everything he was saying to us. Whatever he was up to didn’t matter. No matter the circumstances, being naked and close to Vaughn always put me in a good mood. Even though there were three other wolves in the room with us, my desire for him was as strong as it always was.