Their Alpha Bitch (13 page)

And where were her mates when he had slipped past the security and entered her bedroom?
Out for a fucking run?
That’s what Kennard had said.

She sat there, too numb with horror at what she’d had to do to care when the bedroom door burst open and slammed back against the wall as three huge wolves piled into the room, followed by a dozen people in pajamas and nightgowns.

The feel of Mace’s strong arms pulling her close almost made her break into tears, but she just sat there, staring at him as he begged her to speak to him. Speak to him? What was there to talk about? Her mates had been angry over what they perceived to be disloyalty to them…and they’d left her to face a wolf hell-bent on raping her and hurting her babies.

She simply stared at them as they carried her into the bathroom and stepped into the hot spray with her in their arms, begging her to forgive them…begging her to say something…to tell them if she was hurt.
Hurt?
Kennard hadn’t hurt her as much as her own mates had, and she wanted no part of their repentance.

When her feet touched the tile floor of the huge shower, she shoved Mace as hard as she could, and fought off the hands of the others as she backed into a corner and snarled at them to get out and leave her alone to clean herself up. Dune swallowed hard, handing her the soapy wash cloth in his hand, as he backed out of the shower. Gant stared down at her with pain-filled eyes, and then nodded, following his youngest brother.

Mace stood there, his body shaking, and his face ashen. “Please…Kenna…” he whispered.

Unwilling to feel sorry for him, she started to wash the blood from her chest and face, holding her mouth open under the spray to clean the blood from her tongue and teeth. “Go away, Mace. And have someone block off the tunnel from the fruit cellar into the root cellar in the basement. That’s how he got in.”

She didn’t look at him as he stood there, waiting for her to acknowledge him. She turned her back on him and shoved her head under the hot spray to get the sticky blood out of her hair. She sensed when he was gone, and she shoved the glass shower door closed, before covering her face with both hands and weeping silently until she could not feel any more.

* * * * *

The pack was shaken by the attack on their alpha bitch, especially since it had come from within the house they thought to be impregnable. Over the following few days, the cellar tunnel was bricked in, and the bedroom Kenna slept in was thoroughly cleaned of blood…the walls washed and the thick carpet changed. Even the mattress was destroyed because it had been filled with blood.

Everyone in the pack whispered about the incredible bravery and strength of their alpha bitch…how she had fought and killed a wolf so powerful and vicious. Their queen bitch had saved her pups and herself. The protectors fought over guard duty, each of them wanting the honor of safeguarding their queen. And it was said that she hugged and kissed those who worked hardest to please her.

Kenna spent her days replenishing the needs of the compound, as well as the infirmary and the farm supply lists. She made certain that the supplies of food, water containers, and tools were renewed and increased. She conferred with the physician and the midwife, and had them order what medical supplies they were low on. She even ordered rifles and enough high powered ammo to supply a fort, and was often heard muttering about making sure no one ever got into her home again.

And three lonely wolves spent their nights in solitary pain. She continually refused to share a bed with them. Dune returned to his own bedroom, and Mace slept in the library, with a blanket and pillow. Gant remained in the alpha bedchamber. Alone and miserable.

Keeping themselves busy with repairs, overseeing the hunts for venison, and patrolling with the protectors, Gant, Dune, and Mace forced themselves to accept her censure and anger, knowing she had every right to be pissed at them. Hoping that her anger would cool, they continued to try to gain her forgiveness by leaving small but beautiful gifts where she would find them.

Dune left poems on her pillow, bribing the maid who cleaned her bedroom to help him out. Gant found a bush of pink roses, and cut a fresh rose every day that he placed on the breakfast table. Mace made her a pair of doeskin moccasins that were as soft as velvet, and lined with rabbit fur. But she kept them all at a distance, and continued to keep herself busy.

She ran with the pack on the full moons rather than with her mates, but when the midwife told her that her pregnancy would culminate by the next full moon, and that she would go into labor shortly, Kenna called her mates together in the library to tell them what she needed them to accomplish before their children were born.

She stood by the fireplace as they entered the big room, and she inhaled deep breaths to calm herself as she turned to face them. They were so beautiful, it hurt to look at them. It had been the most difficult three months of her life, keeping them at arms’ length. Now, as she looked at each male, she felt her heart clench in her chest.

“I have been told that our pups will be born by the next full month, and I have no cradles…no nursery. I’m not even sure whether they will be born human, or wolf.” Her eyes met each of her mates. “The midwife has never delivered pups carried by a half-blood wolf, so she’s not sure, either. I guess we need to prepare for either situation.”

Gant found his voice and spoke quietly. “I can have the sawmill send wood to make cradles. And we’ll clear out the old bedroom that they used for us when we were old enough to shift to our human forms. If the pups are born as humans, they’ll need a nursery.” He glanced at Dune. ”That’s the room you have been sleeping in, brother.”

Dune lifted his brows and sighed. “Does this mean I get to share Kenna’s bed again?”

Mace growled, and Gant glared. The younger wolf raised both hands and took a step back. “Kidding…”

“Like hell.” Gant rumbled, and Kenna found herself aching to touch these men…to lie in their arms again. Her gaze met Mace’s, and the yearning in his eyes made her almost open her arms to them all.

She had been angry and hurt. But she’d had plenty of time to think about her feelings, and she realized that they had been hurting, too. Their wonderful little gifts had touched her heart…had dampened her anger. She knew that she could not continue to cause them pain. And she drew a shaking breath as she considered how to let them know she still loved them.

No way in hell could she welcome all three of her mates to her bed this close to delivering her babies…but she could certainly approach them one at a time. That idea sent a shot of pure need through her. And she knew which mate she would make love to first…

* * * * *

Vincent Draga steepled his long fingers in front of his face as he regarded the last Kennard to stand between him and the silver bitch. With Aaron and Jerrod out of the way, it would be no trouble at all to send the last Kennard whelp out on a mission to attack the Dumont compound. Maybe the wolf would be able to rid him of at least one of the Dumont brothers before he went down.

Farris was eager to avenge his brothers…so much so the whelp would be careless and would make mistakes. Fatal mistakes. Vincent laughed softly as Kennard left his presence to gear himself and half a dozen of their new recruits up for a hopeless mission. Things were moving along nicely…

He didn’t worry about losing a few of his men…there were always more to be found who were pathetically willing to take money to join his cause.

Chapter Thirteen

Mace heard the library door open and close softly, and her scent came to him like a dream on the night air. His heart began to pound harder as bare feet brushed across the soft carpet. He pretended to be asleep, not knowing exactly what Kenna wanted of him…but when she sank to her knees beside the sofa he had slept on for months, he couldn’t pretend any longer. When she bent over him and touched her mouth to his, he couldn’t keep the deep growl from reverberating through his chest.

Her small hand slid from his trembling belly to his heart, and he caught the back of her head in his hand and opened his mouth, his tongue hot and eager as it slipped past her lips and tangled hungrily with hers. “Kenna…” her name came on a growl as her hand dipped down his abs to his ramrod hard cock.
“Kenna…”

“Mace…I’m so sorry…” she began, but he stopped her soft apology with a kiss so carnal, it took her breath away. His strong tongue fucked her mouth in a way that made her pussy throb with the need to feel his cock invade her.

“I’ve missed you, Kenna…so much…”
his words were a rasp of need against her lips as he slid his hand along her naked hip and inward to seek the wet heat of her. “Please…let me pleasure you…”

Her soft cry was muffled by his kiss as his hand cupped her mound, and then two long fingers slid into her tight channel. He caught her around the waist and gently dragged her onto the sofa, making room by scooting to one side far enough to stretch her body out beside his. His fingers were slow and sure as he stroked the spot that would bring her the most pleasure. His thumb caressed her clit slowly, as he urged her to her completion.

Her channel was tight…wet…and she clenched his fingers as she kissed him wildly, her orgasm his reward as her warm cream flooded his hand. His heart skipped a beat as she panted against his throat.
God, how he wanted her
. “Kenna…can you take me with the babies so big?”

His ragged question caught in his throat when she rose over him, straddling his hips as she guided his straining shaft to her wet pussy, and slowly sank down over him with a muffled moan of pleasure. He bit his tongue to stifle the shout of pure joy that nearly made him spill his cum on that first sweet stroke. He thought he would die of pleasure as her tight channel embraced him…the pressure of their pups bore down on his cock as he closed his eyes and fought to keep from thrusting up hard and deep, letting her take only what she could.

Her little moans and gasps of delight soothed his aching heart as she showed him how much she wanted him. “Kenna…God, Kenna…I can’t hold off much longer…” his voice was a rasp as he fought the need to come inside her hot cunt.

“Don’t hold off…come for me, Mace…give me your seed…”

He reached between them and rubbed his thumb over her erect little nubbin, and felt her tighten around him as she shattered in a massive orgasm, taking him with her.

She lay on his chest, her lips tracing the pulse pounding in his throat as he ran his hands slowly over her naked body. “I was afraid you hated me…” he whispered.

“I could never hate you. I was angry, and hurt. But I love you too much to keep hurting you. And I know that this has hurt all three of you.” Her fingers dragged over his flat brown nipple, causing a tremor to run through his big body. “But I felt like you had abandoned me.” Her fingertips gently trailed down his chest, flicking over his tight abs. She smiled as his breathing grew ragged. His cock grew thick and hard against her belly once again, and she kissed his nipple before sliding down his body to press sweet kisses to his abs and hip before her mouth closed over his raging cock, sending his blood rocketing through his veins as his fingers clutched her thick hair.

“Kenna…sweet Jesus, baby…
ah, gods…”

She sucked him deep into her throat and swallowed a few times as he groaned and lifted his hips to get as deep as he could. Then she drew back to his sensitive tip to lick and suck. The second time she took him deep, he came hard and hot down her throat, his moans and gasps enough to set off a small orgasm of her own, knowing what she did to him.

He pulled her up his body and kissed her hard, before rolling her onto her back and sliding down to settle his hot mouth on her pussy, his hot tongue fucking her as she arched and cried out with another orgasm. “You taste so sweet, Kenna…” his breath warmed her throbbing clit before he settled in to suck it long and hard, bringing her to yet another shuddering climax.

“I’ve missed you…” she smiled as he drew her against his body and pulled the thin blanket up over their nakedness.

“Not nearly as much as I’ve missed you, sweet thing…” he whispered as he closed his eyes in contentment and allowed himself to sleep.

“We’ve had another incursion at the southern end of the outer compound. They took out one of our protectors, and stole two bitches. Our males killed three of them, and caught Farris Kennard. The son of a bitch is locked in the fruit cellar. What do you want us to do with him?”

Kevin had blood covering his left arm from shoulder to wrist, and the physician was called within minutes. As the doc worked at cutting off his shirt sleeve, the big lobo barely flinched as he was washed and sewn to stop the bleeding. His wound would heal by itself, but with that deep gash he could have bled out.

Gant swore foully and pulled on his jeans and shirt. “Get him into bed and give him water.” Doc nodded, and Gant ran down the stairs two at a time, reaching the library doors just as Mace and Kenna appeared, both having been alerted by the commotion. Kenna wore only her nightgown, but Mace was fully dressed, his face set and pale. Gant let his gaze slide down their mate, his nostrils flaring to catch the scent of recent sex. He stiffened, but said nothing.

Mace nodded at Kenna reassuringly as he followed his brother out the front doors and around to the fruit cellar where a badly torn-up Farris Kennard was trussed like a pig ready for slaughter on the earthen floor. The bastard wouldn’t live through the night.

Kenna hurried upstairs to get dressed, and met Dune in the hallway as he came out of his room. The look on his handsome face made her want to beg him to understand as he inhaled deeply, and abruptly turned away from her to join his brothers. She wondered if any of them would ever forgive her for putting them through such hell over the past three months. Mace knew what she felt, but Gant and Dune would not be so easy to convince.