Devil's Mate (The Tribe MC: Chase of Prey Book 1) (5 page)

Cara’s feet tapped involuntarily and Sebastian laughed as he pulled her into the bar and straight onto the dance floor.

Cara had always loved to dance. She shook her hips, snapped her fingers and flung her hair to the beat. The live band caught sight of her on the crowded dance floor and they began to play harder.

Sebastian was stunned by her dancing. He’d heard that Tribe women could enthrall a man just by dancing, but he’d never seen that until now. She was poetry in motion; she was sensual movements and long whipping hair. She looked like Lust incarnate.

He could no longer deny that he wanted her. He moved onto the floor with her and took her into his arms. Her body melted into his and they danced, a long twisting dance that caused everyone around them to slowly leave the floor and simply stare at the two magnificent people in their midst.

Cara forgot that anyone else was around. She was caught up in the moment, her body reacting to every motion of his. They moved together in a primal, earthy dance. His hips pressed hard against hers and she felt his maleness against her body.

Sebastian held her tightly. His arms formed a protective circle around her and her head rested against the curve of his strong shoulder. She closed her eyes, letting his body lead hers. Beneath the shirt he wore his skin was warm and she wanted to hold onto him forever.

His hips moved against hers, making her belly fill with darting butterflies and her throat fill with a lump. The nervousness that also arose was strange and she was confused by it but the sexual longings she was experiencing were even more confusing and frightening.

Her nipples hardened and her lower body pressed closer to his. She wanted, needed, to feel him there against her. There was a low insistent throbbing coming from her very center and she was almost desperate to find some relief from it.

The song ended and a burst of applause from the bar’s patrons stunned them back into awareness. Cara looked around like a sleeper awakening form a dream.

Sebastian was equally flustered, and what was more, he needed a drink. He pulled her to the bar and the woman behind it, whose big nametag identified her as Michelle, asked if they wanted a private dining room.

They’d already eaten, but right then, they both wanted privacy. Michelle led them to a small room furnished with a table and chairs, a low sofa and a door that closed and locked.

Sebastian could barely keep his hands off Cara while the waitress brought them a frosted bucket of ice with a bottle of champagne in it, two glasses and a plate of cheese and fruit. “Just ring the bell if you need anything else,” she said, and vanished.

Cara turned to Sebastian. Their mouths met and she clung to him. He picked her up and carried her over to the sofa. Her hair fell around them like a silky veil and as he laid her down on the sofa she forced out words that almost shattered his heart.

“I’ve never done this before.”

A virgin! He would have to be very careful. His desire was at an all-time high and he wanted her so badly he could hardly wait, but he knew he had to take his time.

Despite her ardor, Cara was frightened. She wasn’t lying about her virginity, but there was more to it than she could say. She was Tribe, and mating outside of the Tribe was why so many families were lost to the winds and the world now. She was breaking a promise she’d made to her father and to herself.

But she couldn’t help it. Her lust overrode everything else. This was a moment she had to have, no matter the cost. If anyone should be her first, it would be Sebastian and no other. Her heart decreed that and her body seconded its command.

Her entire body broke out in a rash of goose-pimples as he kissed her yet again, his tongue thrusting into her mouth and exploring every inch of it. His hands went to her sweater and he pulled it over her head; the scarf she wore around her throat unwound and fell away.

She lay there on the sofa, staring up at him. The room was not dark but the light was soft. Her fingers twisted into his thick hair as his mouth traced the rosy pink of her areolas and encircled her erect nipples.

Sensation burst through her; her back arched and her heels dug into the sofa. Sebastian’s weight was above her body, carefully poised, but she wanted it on her, to feel his back under her hands.

Her fingers stripped away his shirt and she gasped as she found his rock-hard abs and the lean, taut muscles of his shoulders. His mouth went to her neck, down to her nipples and then lower. His teeth gently grazed her belly button.

Chills and thrills fluttered across her heated flesh. His hands tugged her jeans down over her lean hips and she lifted them to help him. Her shoes fell to the floor with a loud thud. Her eyes were closed but she could feel him in every pore of her skin, over every inch of her body. Her fingers explored his bare chest and back and then went lower.

He moved away before she could open the button on his jeans. His fingers caressed the satiny fabric of her panties then he pulled them down and away. His tongue and fingers parted her labia and a shudder coursed through her. The cool air stroked her wet mound, and from somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a slow soft bell ring out and she groaned loudly.

His finger slipped inside her wet, tight tunnel. Her teeth clenched in fear and she went rigid, but he murmured soothing words as he opened her gently with first one, then two fingers. His tongue massaged her swollen, high clitoris and her cries grew softer but more urgent as a sensation she’d never known before came over her.

Sebastian took her to the brink of climax. The fingers of his free hand went to the button of his jeans and he managed push the snug denim down enough to free himself. Just as the orgasm began to hit her, he entered her with one hard sharp thrust.

He stayed there, buried deep within her flesh. Her cry of pain rang out through the dim room and he stayed still, even though he wanted badly to move within her.

The pain was fleeting. The orgasm took it away and she was lost in the swelling and ebbing tides of that ecstasy. She’d never known anything so intense, and when it stopped he was still there inside of her.

She wanted more. Cara lifted her hips instinctively and she heard him gasp. She lowered them and he gasped again. He allowed her to set the rhythm and to decide when she was ready; she was as eager and hungry as he was.

His lips sought hers out. Their tongues twisted and her breasts flattened against his chest as she strained upward, reaching for him.

Sebastian withdrew from her. The snug sheath that had fit around him so perfectly hugged him close and when he entered her once more he could feel her flesh parting, her walls opening for his hard long staff.

Cara was swept away by sensation. Her nails dug into his back, tearing the skin there slightly but she didn’t care. It was so powerful, the way he felt inside of her and the sensations he was bringing to her.

Her cries were muffled by his mouth, her head fell back to the pillows and she shuddered as he withdrew again and then entered her faster and harder than he had before.

His hips began to pick up speed, thrusting into hers. Cara’s heels dug into the mattress and her ass lifted high, the juices dripping from her body and puddling below. The sheets were sticky and wet, her breath was coming in harsh and fast pants and the friction he was causing in her body was almost too much to bear.

Sebastian felt her tightening around him. She was going to come and he knew it. He wanted her to feel that again, to be satisfied. He wanted to be the one who took her to the greatest heights of pleasure and so when her slippery walls squeezed and opened on his rigid flesh he thrust faster and harder, taking her over the edge.

His own end came far too soon for his liking. He would have loved to keep her there with him forever, but eventually their bodies cooled and he lay on top of her, gently stroking her hair and soothing the tears she hadn’t even known had spilled from her eyes.

Eventually he withdrew, a thin dribble of his seed marking her thigh. He brought the plate of fruit and cheese from the table and helped her to sit up before he began to feed it to her slowly with his fingers.

Cara was still lost in a haze of sensation. If this was mate-lust, no wonder so many got carried away by it!

Eventually they came to their senses and she knew she had to go home. She didn’t want to, she would have liked to stay with him for the entire night, or forever.

Sebastian drove her home, dropping her off at the low stone wall and as she got out, he asked, “Will you meet me again?”

Her smile was huge. “Just name the place and time.”

CHAPTER  8

His father practically ambushed him as he walked through the door. Sebastian looked at him warily; Brand was angry and Sebastian could see it on his face. Sebastian didn’t want to ask but he had to: “What is going on?”

“The Tribe somehow managed to slip one of their own women into the nightclub down on 17
th
. The idiot human that manages the place hired her as a waitress and she broke our enthrallment on the women there. Now they’re all back dancing and earning money for the Tribe.”

“How did the human manager know that a Tribe woman came into the club?” Sebastian asked.

“He didn’t, of course. Gregory searched his memories and found the truth buried in his subconscious.”

“But… that would’ve killed him.”

“It did, yes.”

“Father, are you really that willing to keep excusing the bodies that Gregory is piling up?”

Brand gave his oldest son a frosty glare. “Sometimes these things are necessary, Sebastian.”

“I’m very well aware that death is often necessary. Only I don’t see how it was necessary to kill the manager of the club to recover his memory. A mere hypnotism would’ve sufficed and you know it.”

“Don’t presume to question my decisions, Sebastian.”

“It’s not your decisions that I’m questioning, Father.”

The two of them faced each other, and the tension in the room became electric and thick. Sebastian was well aware that most of the problem was that his father had never really loved Sebastian’s mother, Nemia. The two were still friendly, although she had joined another pack years ago. It was well known that part of their friendliness stemmed from the fact that whatever was between them had been purely physical. She had given him twins, Sebastian and Moira, and he loved them, but Gregory was the one he loved the most.

That had led to some division between Sebastian and his father. Moira, his sister, had also suffered after Gregory had been born. She’d borne a child to her husband Liam, but the boy, Devon, came along right before Gregory and after Gregory’s birth Devon was all but ignored.

After Gregory had been born, and his mother died, Brand had ignored almost everyone in favor of Gregory.

Gregory’s mother Lana had been the love of Brand’s very long life. He had been crazy about her, and she had given him only one child. Soon after Gregory’s fifteenth mortal birthday, Lana had been killed by a rogue. Gregory had slain that rogue and carried his mother’s torn and bloodstained body to her mate, his father.

Brand had changed after that, and in the five years following Lana’s death he had drawn closer and closer to Gregory and grown further apart from his other two children. It was not healthy and it did not bode well for the Fallen.

Everyone knew that Sebastian was in line to be the next ruler of the Fallen. Like kings of old, it was blood that decided kingship, and the eldest son was always the first in line to inherit the throne. That made Sebastian a threat to Gregory’s ambitions, which he had never bothered to hide. He knew that eventually, he would have to fight his half-brother. Sebastian did not want that, but he knew it would be inevitable if Brand did not make a move to thwart his youngest son.

And if Sebastian did not, others would. Sebastian had heard the whispers. Gregory was evil, he had more rogue in him than good. Gregory was power-mad and very young. He was spoiled, he had never learned of the consequences that his actions could bring about. Brand sheltered and excused him at every turn. He would continue to do so, and Sebastian knew that something must change or there would be anarchy within the pack.

The Fallen had many packs scattered across the globe, and all packs had their problems — problems with kings who were foolish, too young or just greedy. Gregory was all of those things, and Sebastian knew that Gregory would do anything it took to claim what he perceived as his rightful place as king of the pack.

“Father, Gregory is out of control. Why is it that you cannot or will not see that he is tempting others to go rogue? Most believe he’s the cause of the rash of deaths that we have had as of late. He’s stirring up dissent and many of the young ones are looking to him for leadership.”

“Does that make you feel threatened?” Brand’s eyes were impassive, but his hands lifted and lowered, a gesture that gave away the depth of his feeling.

“No,” Sebastian said honestly, “but it’s not endearing him to many of the Elders.”

“So what? A man doesn’t have to be liked to rule.”

“Any man can rule, but that doesn’t mean he’ll rule well. Remember when you told me that?”

“I’ve had enough of this,” Brand said, turning away.

“Open your eyes, Father! You must see what others already see! If you don’t, we'll face anarchy within our own pack.”

“Get out!” Brand’s words were heavy and deep as thunder.

Sebastian turned and walked out. Moira she took his arm and led him to her own room. There was a fountain with a waterfall, small and self-contained, in one corner. She led him there and turned on some music. Most of the wolves had incredibly acute hearing; they deliberately tuned out most things, but the twins knew that if anyone were lurking about right now to eavesdrop, it would be very dangerous.

“I heard what you said to Father,” Moira said quietly. “He won’t listen to you, you know. He’s blinded by his love for Lana, and I believe he always will be.”

“I know. If you heard, then surely some of the others heard as well.”

“You were not saying anything that they haven’t already thought or said amongst themselves. Anarchy is coming, Sebastian, and Gregory is stirring the pot more and more each day. He wants that, don’t you see? It would be his one big opportunity to remove everything standing in his way.”

“You mean me.”

“I mean all of us: you, me, Father and Devon.”

Moira did not have to explain any more. If anarchy came, death would follow. If rogues tore apart the entire line of succession, Gregory would be the only one left who could rule by law.

Sebastian did not want to believe that his half-brother was capable of killing his own father or anyone else in his family, but he knew this was untrue. “If I die you must keep Devon alive,” Moira said. “He is so much like his father, except Liam remembered what it was like to run free and Devon has never known that.

“I don’t think Gregory can turn Devon as he did Liam,” Moira continued. “We both know that if you die before Devon, that it would be me who inherits. If you and I were both gone, Devon would be the next in line simply because he is already a century old and proven, while Gregory is far too young. None of the kings of the Fallen Council would allow Gregory to become King unless there was nobody else.”

The twins sat silent. Sebastian knew how much she mourned for Liam; she had followed him around from the day she’d been born, it seemed. Liam had been centuries older than she, and the match had not been looked on with much favor until it became clear how deeply the two loved each other.

Devon was all she had left of that union. Liam had not been too old to mate, but his child-bearing strength was diminishing with every year and they had never had another child. Devon had never run free; like most of the Fallen, he wore heavy silver around his neck or wrists to keep the shift from happening.

They did shift — they had to. As part of the Covenant they had to shift at least four times a year or die. But even when they shifted, they were not entirely free. The ranches upon which they hunted had heavy silver chain-link fences surrounding the lands, keeping errant wolves locked within thousand-acre prisons they themselves had designed.

For those who had never run free, for those who had once been Wolf and nothing else, the Covenant was especially difficult. Even those younger than the originals, like Liam and Brand, often chafed at the restrictions that the Covenant had placed upon them.

Once upon a time, they had shifted with every moon — thirteen moons per mortal calendar year. Thirteen blissful nights of feeling the freedom that only shifting could bring.

They all knew that the Covenant was necessary. If they were to remain upon the earth and to remain strong, there must be law. Sebastian’s pack had turned to outlaw ways. They had discovered motorcycles and crime. They had discovered money and power as a way to stay nomadic. But being bikers meant drawing attention to themselves on a constant basis, even as they deflected it.

Other packs found their own way to survive the restrictions of the Covenant. Sebastian often wondered what people would say if they had known that some of the most notorious criminals in history had simply been werewolves looking for freedom.

“I had a vision, Sebastian.”

It had been decades since Moira had seen anything. Sebastian knew this was important, so he leaned forward to hear her speak even more quietly than they had been before. “What was it?”

“I saw a wolf outside of the Tribe’s sacred circle. I saw a Queen leaving her people and racing for a wolf. That Queen had the ability to subvert nature itself, Sebastian. She could fly.”

“That’s impossible.”

“None have since Carida, this is true. But if they raise a Queen with that much strength what will happen to the packs? Where would that leave the Fallen?"

He wanted to reassure her, but he couldn’t. A Queen that powerful might do what Carida had not had the heart to do.

She might wipe the Fallen from the face of the earth.

“I will protect Devon with my very life,” he promised. He put a hand out and touched her red–gold hair. It was the best he could do, and it was the most she could ask.