Chapter 8: TWENTY THREE DAYS
DANE’S POV
ONE WEEK LATER
Do you know how long it had been?
Twenty three days since that night at the cabin.
I knew the exact number because I had been using it as something to hold onto. I had built myself a wall built out of discipline and the stubbornness of a man who had decided he was handling this by not handling it and was going to keep believing that right up until it stopped being true.
Which was probably soon.
The bond continued to remain a painful reminder of what we all decided to ignore. I could feel her emotions on some days ㅡ frustration when she was at the office. Happiness when she was walking with Nadia. The occasional tension ㅡ I received all of it because I had no choice in the matter.
I also knew Callum had been going to her. Of course he hadn’t mentioned it. But I knew because the bond told me the way it told me everything nowㅡ I could feel the warmth pushing it torrents down the bond on some nights. The sexual satiation from both sides. They were meeting regularly and they were having sex. I didn’t know how that made me feel. Territorial? Pissed because I wanted to do that too.
What had made him change his mind? Not like I could ever ask him.
So I didn’t and I went to the border briefing instead.
****************
The meeting ran late. Mostly because Fenㅡ one of the newer border wolves was enthusiastic and he had a few questions. Scratch that, many questions. About patrol rotation, about the irregular scout movement on the eastern perimeter that had been flagged twice this month, about protocol if they encountered a third instance.
I stood at the map table with my arms crossed and answered all of them as calmly as I can. This was my job as the Beta after all.
"So if we pick up the scent again," Fen said, dragging his finger along the eastern boundary line, "same drill? Document and hold?"
"Document and hold." I confirmed. "You don’t engage unless they cross the line. They haven’t crossed the line yet so you do not engage."
"Yet."
"Yet." I agreed with a nod. "Which is why we document. So when they do, we have a record for how long it has been going on for and what limits they pushed each time."
He nodded slowly. Thenㅡ "Do you think it’s Duskfen?"
I looked at the map again.
The irregular movement had been coming from the northeast which put it squarely in the corridor between Ashveil and Duskfen territory. We didn’t have active conflict with Duskfen but we also weren’t on good terms with them. "I think it doesn’t matter who it is until they give us a reason for it to matter." I finally said. "Eyes open, mouths shut, nothing escalates without the Alpha’s call. Understood?"
"Understood." He straightened, then he looked at me with the expression of someone about to ask something that wasn’t about the border. "Hey, Beta Dane ㅡ"
Absolutely not.
"Good night, Fen."
He closed his mouth. "Good night."
I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair and left.
The pack grounds were quiet at this hour. Most of the lights in the residences were out and my footsteps were the only sound as I moved through the eastern stretch, the cold seeping its way through my jacket. Fuck, it was really cold. But I didn’t mind. I needed the air.
The bond was also loud tonight. I had been ignoring it all evening but now, with the briefing done and the grounds empty and nothing to redirect my attention to, it was just there.
And it was pointing to a direction I had deliberately forced myself not to move towards.
Suddenly, I paused. What would happen if I did?
I told myself I was taking the long route back to my quarters and yes, the long route happened to go past her house.
I told myself that was a coincidence but I found myself staring at her house.
Her light was still on.
Honestly, I’m not sure what happened but I stopped outside her door and stood there for a moment like a complete idiot and the bond pulled and I lasted approximately four more seconds before my knuckles were on the door giving a short rap on it.
Barely seconds later, footsteps approached the door from inside and she opened the door, her eyes wide.
She was in an oversized shirt and her hair was down. She looked at me and her expression did three things at once before she got it under control.
Well...this was weird.
"It’s late." She said.
"I know." I nodded, blowing air out of my lips.
She blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"I was passing." I gestured vaguely around.
She stared at me with a scowl. "You were passing?"
God, I hated the way I could see the slight resemblance between her and her sister. But it didn’t feel the same in any way. I didn’t feel this obsessed with Lyra the way I did with Keisha.
I was in a lot of trouble.
"The long route...you know..." I rocked back and forth on my heels.
"From where?" She raised a brow.
"Border briefing."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "The border briefing that ended," she glanced behind her at the clock on her kitchen wall, "forty minutes ago."
I said nothing and she looked back at me. "Dane. What are you doing here?"
I didn’t have a clean answer for that. I had twenty three days worth of thinking of clean answers and none of them had actually worked so I was fresh out. The bond was loud and she was standing right there and the honest answer was that I had held out as long as I could and the wall had simply stopped holding.
I needed her tonight.
But I didn’t say any of that. Instead I crossed the threshold, cupped her face in both hands and kissed her.
She made a small startled sound against my mouthㅡ not pulling away, just surprised, her hands coming up to grip my wrists like she needed something to hold onto.
When I pulled back she was staring at me with a dazed expression.
"That’s what I’m doing here." I said.
She blinked once, then she stepped back and pulled the door open wider and I came inside and she closed it behind us.
Her hands hooked around my neck instantly, pulling my head down as she kissed me fervently. "You know I hate you, right?" She whispered breathlessly, stifling a whimper as my tongue slid into her mouth.
My fingers kneaded her hips and my pants felt extremely tight.
Oh...fuck.
I pulled away for a second, staring down into her wild eyes. "I know, baby...I know..." I whispered back before crashing my lips back down on hers.
My fingers tugged at the hem of her shirt, needing the fabric out of the way. She understood immediately, pulling away long enough for me to pull it over her head, revealing a lace bra and panties. "You’re so gorgeous." I whispered with the reverence of a man who wanted to get on his knees and worship every inch of her.
Goddess help me, I would if she asked.
Her head tilted back and she almost knocked over a vase as her fingers scrambled for something to hold on to when my head dipped, tongue grazing the valley of her boobs. "Oh my god..."
She was pressed up against the wall, her slender fingers finally finding their way into my hair.
"Have you been a good girl for Alpha Callum?" I asked hoarsely, my hand deftly unclasping her bra and dropping them to the floor.
Her eyes shot open and her body shivered. "Iㅡ"
"Answer me," I growled, hand coming down hard on one tit with a sharp sound as she let out a wail. I watched with satisfaction as the skin blossomed into a pale shade of red. "Don’t lie to me, princess."
"Yesㅡ Oh my fucking...yes..." She sobbed, her body gently shuddering with every shaky breath she took.
I captured one of her boobs with my mouth, sucking at it while kneading the door with my hand. "God, I love your tits so much."
Keisha pushed against me, whimpering. "Oh my gosh...please..."
My second hand found her panties, sliding through the fabric with slow, teasing circles. "Will you let me fuck you right here against the wall, Keisha?" My voice dropped to a growl. "Will you let your sister’s ex pound that tight pussy of yours until you come around his cock?" I demanded gruffly.
Shame flooded down the bond but her lips wobbled into a different answer. "Yes..."
A wicked grin spread across my face.
"Good girl."
Twenty-three days. That was all it took before I cracked again.
When I finally sank into her tight heat that night, a thought crossed my mind ㅡ How long would I last before I gave in again?
Not that long.
