Alannas calling, p.13
Alanna's Calling, page 13
Alanna’s eyes roamed over his face, taking in the hard set of his jawline and the slightly cold look in his eyes. She thought she understood what he was telling her but wanted to make sure. “To me, or to anyone?”
“To anyone,” Jinx confirmed shortly. “I can show you if you would like? So, you know it to be true.”
Alanna slowly shook her head, a feeling of peace settling in her chest. “No, Jinx, you don’t need to show me. I appreciate the offer, but I know you would never lie to me.”
I want to help him now.
Are you sure, mate? Are you up to it?
She turned to look at Trigger, a soft smile on her lips. “Yes, I’m sure. I’m ready.”
Trigger nodded, and they both looked over at Jinx. “You went with us to help Parker, Jinx. You said it was because that is what pack does.” Jinx frowned slightly but kept quiet. “You also just removed a very real threat to Alanna’s life. I’m assuming you will also say it is because that is what pack does.”
“It is.” Jinx shrugged, his gaze leaving them to look out toward the trees surrounding them before coming back again. “That’s what my dad says. And I’ve watched Chase and some of the other pack members. They all take care of each other. I know I’m not technically a part of your pack, but Chase says I will be someday when I’m ready.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Trigger interjected. “You already are pack, Jinx. And you have given us two very important gifts. First by keeping my mate alive when she saved Parker’s life.” He held up his hand when Jinx looked as if he were going to say something. “Don’t deny it. We both know she would have died if you weren’t there, sharing your power with her. Helping me pull her out at the end. She would have died, which means I would have chosen to follow. Because of you, we are both still here today. And don’t think that I don’t know the toll it took on you. You may have left right when we got back home, but I saw you. If I thought you would have stayed, I would have put you in the guest room and watched over you myself.”
“It was my honor,” Jinx finally said, accepting what Trigger was telling him.
“Eliminating the threat of Doug was the second gift you’ve given us. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have come for Alanna. He would have come, and he would have failed, but there is always a chance she could have been hurt.”
Jinx gave them a short nod.
“Now, my mate would like to give you a gift in return. Because it is what pack does, but also because she and I both consider you a friend, Jinx. Please, accept this gift from her. From us.”
Jinx hesitated, looking at them in confusion before he slowly nodded again.
Alanna didn’t waste any time. She’d wanted his permission, and she’d just received it. Now, she was going to help him before he had time to change his mind. Holding his hands tightly in hers, she closed her eyes and reached for him, letting that part of her out that allowed her to feel the emotions of those around her. She’d never actually tried to seek out emotions the way she was with Jinx, but she found it easy to make the connection since she was touching him.
First, she sought out the nervousness and anxiety he experienced every time he had to enter a place he had no desire to go. She found it quickly, since they were sitting so near the cottage and he was worried she might want to go inside because of the cold. She started pulling those feelings from him and into her before she searched for the terror he felt when he was expected to eat what others made. That was also easy to find, considering they’d set an extra mug of hot chocolate on the table just in case he wanted one after this was all over.
While she was taking all of that from him, absorbing it into herself, she found another fear. One that he would never be able to be what everyone expected him to be. A brother, a son, a guardian, a savior… a friend.
Jinx tried to pull away from her, but Alanna held on tightly. “Please Jinx, let me do this for you. Please.”
She felt the shudder that ran through his body, making his hands shake slightly, but he stayed where he was.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said hoarsely.
Alanna opened her eyes and slowly raised her head to meet his now bright emerald gaze. “You won’t. I promise. This doesn’t affect me the way healing someone physically does. I won’t be in pain. I won’t go into the darkness.”
It was all true. He wouldn’t scent any lies. She wasn’t going to tell him that she would feel all the negative emotions she was drawing from him for days. She’d only done it the one time, with Sharina, so she really had no idea how long it would last. But she didn’t care. She and Trigger had talked extensively about it, and they both agreed that after everything the man had done for them, they wanted to help Jinx.
Focusing her attention back on her main goal, Alanna closed her eyes again. There was resentment toward the General, a man who was now dead. Definitely a feeling Jinx didn’t need to be hauling around with him anymore. Frustration that he was unable to find the head of the faction that Ebony was working for. Anger for both the General and Ebony for making him live a life he hated. Sorrow for all the people being held captive by first the General, and now Ebony. Especially Amber, one of the General’s daughters.
Alanna’s heart stuttered when she saw exactly who Amber was. She might have been daughter to one of the most evil men who ever lived, but she was so different than him. Sweet, kind, and caring. She’d helped those captives Jinx worried about, saving several of them. She was mate to Bane, one of the members of RARE. And she was gone, taken by Ebony and hidden somewhere even Jinx was unable to find her. Bane and his sister Sapphire were looking for her, but there were no leads. Jinx had so much rage, sadness, and guilt in him from that one thing alone. She refused to allow him to feel the way he was. She took it all. Every last horrible emotion associated with a woman who no one could find.
Finally, when she was sure she’d done as much as she could, Alanna opened her eyes and swayed slightly in her chair before leaning back against it.
“What did you do?” Jinx asked in awe, slowly pulling his hands from hers and sitting back in his own seat. “I feel different. Lighter somehow.”
Alanna reached for Trigger, needing his touch, but kept her gaze on Jinx. “You know how I can heal a body physically?” Jinx nodded. “Well, I learned a few weeks ago that I can,” she paused, unsure how to say it. “Well, I can heal emotions too.” When he frowned, she tried again. “I took a lot of your negative emotions from you. Or maybe think of it as negative energy. Your anxiety, fear, rage, sorrow, guilt. I left you some of the anger, because I feel like you will need it to push forward on the journey you are following, but not too much.”
“I’ve never heard of an ability like that before.”
“Me neither,” Alanna admitted. “I was actually shocked when it happened with Sharina. But she was hurting so much, I just let it follow the course it wanted to.”
“Before Alanna healed my mother, she wouldn’t even leave the house. We lost our streak in a raid by a group of humans who hunted shifters. We watched them murder my grandparents and my father. When Chase found us and brought us here, things were better for her until I left for the military.” There was sadness in Trigger’s gaze when he related the story, but Alanna was proud of him for telling Jinx. He hadn’t told many people, and she believed it would help him to talk about it. “My mother started refusing to leave the house. She was filled with so much anxiety, sadness, rage.” He glanced over at her, and brought her hand up to his lips, feathering a kiss across her knuckles. “My mate took all of that from her. Brought her peace. Gave her back her life.”
Jinx swallowed hard, his gaze going to the third cup on the table, and then over to the door to their home.
“We will never push you to do anything, Jinx,” she said softly, “but if you try, I think you will find your fears are lessened now. That terror that held you back from trusting anyone after what happened to you isn’t there anymore. I won’t say you will automatically learn to trust, but the fear holding you back won’t be the oppressive weight it was before.”
Slowly, Jinx reached over to grip the handle on the cup of hot chocolate, bringing it to his lips. He looked her in the eyes as he took a small sip, then a bigger one. She laughed when he pulled the mug back and there was a mustache of whip cream on his top lip.
“Wow. That’s good.”
Alanna laughed again as she nodded in agreement. “It’s the marshmallows and chocolate chips on top. It makes all the difference.”
17
Trigger watched Jinx walk away, the wolf’s step a little lighter, his shoulders a little looser. The man still held the weight of the world on them, but without all the negative emotions bombarding him, he was better equipped to handle his responsibilities.
He gathered up his and Jinx’s mugs, and followed Alanna into the house, his mind on one thing only. He slipped up behind his mate, his front pressed to her back. Setting the mugs he held in the sink in front of her, he lowered his head, placing his mouth over the mark he’d given her, claiming her as his. He scraped it with his fangs, loving the shiver that ran through her body.
Sliding his hands under her sweatshirt, he grasped both it and the little pink tee shirt she wore and tugged them up and off. His hands went to the clasp of her bra, and he slipped the three little prongs free and slid the purple lace over her shoulders and down her arms, letting it fall to the floor. Quickly, he rid himself of his own shirt and sweatshirt, wanting nothing between them. He toed off his shoes, and undid the snap on his pants, shoving them down and off, taking his black boxer briefs with them.
Then he switched his full attention back to his mate.
“You are so beautiful, baby. So damn beautiful.” Trigger ran his hands over the smooth, silky skin on her back, down to the jeans she wore that cupped her sexy ass just right. He reached around and undid the button and slid his hands over the waistband of her jeans. Grasping them, he pushed them down. Kneeling, he lifted first one foot, removing her shoe, sock, and pant leg, and then did the other.
Alanna whimpered softly, a needy sound that had his cock so damn hard it hurt. He ran his palms over the soft, light purple satin that covered her milky white flesh, leaning in to nip at the skin at the curve of her ass. She cried out, pushing back into him, clutching tightly to the counter. He nipped at the other side, giving it the same attention, and she let out a low, breathless moan.
“Turn around, mate.” He could smell her excitement, the scent driving him wild. He wanted to taste her.
She turned and he wasted no time sliding the small slip of lacey satin down her legs and off. Then his mouth was on her, his hands gripping her hips, his tongue sliding through her lips. He growled as her taste filled his mouth, his cock pulsing, wanting inside her.
“Trigger! Oh God, please!”
He shoved his tongue inside her, his growls intensifying, deep and loud. He was so fucking hard. Trigger licked through her lips and found that small, hard bundle of nerves. He licked and sucked, eating at her as he slid two fingers into her wet channel. Alanna’s hands went to his hair, grasping tightly to the thick strands as she rocked against him. Soon, she was screaming as she flew apart on his tongue.
Trigger rose and pulled her against him, cupping her ass in his hands. Lifting her up, he groaned when she wrapped her legs around him, placing her mound tight against his cock. He moved over so he could rest her back against the wall and reached down to guide his hard, straining dick into her hot sheath. She was wet and so fucking tight it felt as if she were strangling his cock. He pushed slowly inside until he bottomed out, his balls resting against the curve of her ass.
“Trigger!”
Trigger slammed his mouth onto hers, the kiss hard and demanding. He’d only taken her once since she’d recovered from healing Parker, and that time it was slow, sweet, and sensual. This was going to be fast, hard, and downright dirty. He needed his mate.
One hand was underneath her ass holding her in place, the other found her breast, and he lowered his head to nip at the hard, pink nipple. Alanna cried out, bucking against him, raking her nails down his back.
He snarled around her breast, biting down on the turgid nipple as he pulled his hips back, sliding halfway out of her, and then thrust back in. He didn’t hold back, taking her hard and fast, pounding into her as he nipped at the flesh on first one breast, then the other, loving the marks he left on her. His marks.
Alanna grasped his shoulders tightly, her nails digging into his skin. Her head fell back against the wall, her mouth open as she panted and moaned with little sexy growls mixed in. The sounds she was making were driving him crazy, and he knew he wasn’t going to last long.
Trigger lowered his hand between them and found her clit, rubbing it with his thumb. He thrust harder, faster, chasing his orgasm. When he felt her channel tighten around him, squeezing his cock hard, he lowered his head to her neck and came with a grunt. Finding the mark he left on her weeks before, he sank his teeth deep. It was a claiming, something he would do every single time he took her because she was his.
Alanna’s fangs bit into his shoulder, and he removed his own teeth and threw his head back, coming again with a loud shout. He continued to move his hips, plunging in and out of her, until he was finally spent.
“How about we find our bed and do that again?” he asked, leaning down to capture one of her nipples while he rolled the other one in between his thumb and forefinger.
His mate’s sweet laughter sounded around them, and she slid her fangs from his skin. “It’s a good thing your mother finally accepted her mate and moved in with him when he came a couple of days ago to visit with Parker.”
Trigger let her nipple go with a pop, giving her a devilish grin. “True. She might frown on what we just did in the kitchen.”
Alanna slowly shook her head, her eyes beginning to cloud over with an emotion he thought might be sorrow. She slid her arms around his neck, holding him to her as she whispered, “Distract me, Trigger. Please, I need you to distract me.”
He knew what she meant. He could feel the dark emotions that were starting to swamp her through their bond. Jinx’s emotions. Neither of them had any regrets about the decision they’d made to help the wolf, but Trigger knew it would be hard on his mate for a few days.
He lowered his lips to hers, giving her a soft, gentle kiss. “I’ve got you mate. I’ve always got you.”
18
Alanna stood by the fireplace in the living room of their small cottage, her hand resting on the mantel as she stared into the flames, a soft smile on her lips. It was chilly, a bite of cold in the air that she wasn’t used to this time of year. Trigger had started the fire for her even though he said he wouldn’t normally do it for at least a couple more weeks. He didn’t like the thought of her being cold and had already gone out and chopped extra firewood for her to use so she wouldn’t run out if he was sent away on a mission.
The doorbell rang and she swung around in excitement. Trigger strode into the room, grinning over at her. “You ready for this?”
Was she ready? She’d been ready for weeks! “Open the door, Trigger!”
He laughed, shaking his head as he walked over to their front door. Grasping the doorknob, he swung it open, stepping back to let their visitors in.
Alanna’s hand trembled as she raised it to cover her mouth. Her eyes misted over with tears, and she couldn’t stop the small sob that slipped out.
She was here. Sweet baby Nevaeh was in their home, alive and well according to her father. This would be the first time Alanna had seen her and Serenity since that night. The one that almost took the little one from all of them.
“Alanna? Are you okay?” Trigger quickly crossed the room to her and drew her into his arms. He ran his hand up and down her back, rubbing his cheek against hers, trying to sooth her.
She nodded, but the tears slipped free, flowing down her cheeks. She didn’t even try to stop them.
“I’ve got you, mate.” She knew he did. He always did.
Trigger held her close to him while Phoenix and Serenity unbundled the little girl. It was just shy of two months since the child was born. Just seven and a half short weeks. And while she was happy and healthy, she was still so small.
“Would you like to hold her?” Serenity asked softly, her own eyes wet with tears.
“Yes please.” There was no other way to answer. The baby had a tight grip on her heart, and after what they’d gone through together Alanna knew she always would.
Trigger guided her over to the couch and lowered her down on it, sitting next to her. His arm stayed around her waist, supporting her, and she was grateful to him for it. She didn’t know why she was so emotional, all she knew was that she felt as if her heart were about to pound right out of her chest.
Serenity lowered her daughter into Alanna’s waiting arms, and Alanna was trembling so hard she prayed she didn’t drop the child. Trigger slid an arm under the baby, helping Alanna brace her up. She smiled, realizing she should have known her mate would be there for her, the way he always was.
She looked down at the beautiful baby with all of her dark black hair. Her features were tiny and delicate, like a little babydoll. She was breathtaking. As she watched, the baby’s lashes fluttered, her eyes opening, and Alanna gasped when she found herself staring into the most unique silver eyes she’d ever seen.
“Hello, little Vaeh. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you.”
The little girl stared at her for a moment, and then she smiled. A big, bright smile that lit up her face and caused those breathtaking eyes to glow.
“She knows you,” Serenity whispered in shock. “She’s never done that before. Smiled like that.”
“We have a bond,” Alanna admitted softly as she ran a finger lightly over the soft skin of the baby’s cheek. “It was forged that night when I fought for her life. One that will never be broken. If she needs me, I will be there. Always. No questions asked. No matter what.”
