VEX: Valley Enforcers, #1 (20 page)

I couldn’t wait to put my mark on her. My saliva would alter her DNA and create a unique scent that let every shifter know that she was taken. Her mark on me wouldn’t be as potent, but I’d wear it just as proudly. Mine. Forever.

When Deacon pulled my Tahoe around I lifted Acacia in and cradled her against me. The roads were bumpy and I knew they’d make for an uncomfortable ride. Her breathing was calm and steady and she stared up at me like I was her fucking hero.

“It’s not as bad as it looks, you know,” She said softly. Her hand snaked up my chest and inched towards the healing bullet wound on my shoulder. “Beat me to hell and back – that hurts. But my head was cut open when he hit me with his gun, and all the blood is either from that or the few nicks he made on my chest and arms. He was too involved in the theatrics to go deep. Like I said, barely a scratch.”

The sound from the front seat was too low for Acacia to hear it, but I was very aware of my Alpha’s growing hate because it swelled inside of me, too. Killing Slug quickly was the wrong thing to do. No, I should’ve torn him apart limb by limb like I wanted to. I should’ve stripped the flesh from his skin and worked it into a noose.

Her palm flattened over my wound. She looked up to make sure I was okay, but the pressure from her hand barely stung. “He shot you. Twice.”

“He could’ve shot me a dozen more times and it wouldn’t have mattered. Nothing will ever stand between me and you, baby.” I pushed a clump of matted hair away from her face. It revealed more angry skin. My jaw clamped shut like a bear trap, and I worked through my strangled emotions. It was easier to stay quiet than to risk breaking in front of her.

The rest of the drive to the reserve was silent. Acacia’s eyes closed every now and then and I would brush my fingers over her skin to keep her awake. The knot on her head scared me, and if she had a concussion she had to stay awake. I wanted to show her the beauty of the reserve – the way the lights that were strung from the trees glowed like lightning bugs and how the silhouettes of the houses danced as the sun came up – but there would be time for that in the future. The magic of the reserve was beautiful, and I knew she would appreciate it the way that the rest of us did.

Though it was nearly two in the morning, there was a buzz of activity on the reserve. Many of the clans-people were respectful enough to hang back in their homes or only linger on the porches as we pulled up next to the makeshift medical ward attached to Elder Sim’s home. Though Orsa had taken over almost all of the duties as the clan healer, the med ward was an addition to the Elder’s home and her job as a healer was never truly over. Both Orsa and Sims were in the room when, under Deacon’s wide (and naked) cloak, we stumbled inside.

I tried not to growl at Orsa when she pushed me away from Acacia once I placed her on one of the cots in the room. I knew Orsa wouldn’t hurt Acacia, but I was still running on an adrenaline induced high and my bear was pressed against my skin. Though Nate, Orsa’s mate, didn’t totally approve of our friendship at first; I truly valued the woman’s friendship.

Sims attempted to wipe all of the blood and dirt off my body and inspect my wounds, but I hovered over Orsa’s shoulder as she worked on Acacia. Both Orsa and Sims instructed me to at least go outside and shift so that the last stages of healing would work on sealing the angry holes from the bullets – one on my shoulder and the other a few inches from my belly button. But it wasn’t until Acacia’s tired eyes met mine and she told me to leave that I listened.

The reserve had, for the most part, settled down. Alexis, Dean, and Deacon were all outside. I was surprised that they hadn’t entered, but the two shifters knew about boundaries and mates well enough to stay back. Alexis seemed to just be along for moral support as Dean debriefed me on the events that unfolded that night. Barrel was, thankfully, okay. His pride was bruised and he was still feeling the effects of the tranquilizers, but he was alive. The man who claimed to have no knowledge of what truly was going on with the cameras, however, was
not
alive. He choked on his own vomit while George and Tucker were busy with our fellow Enforcer. My house was still a disaster but the body was gone and Deacon sent Justin and Xavier over to clean up as much of the blood and mess as they possibly could. I wasn’t sure where Acacia and I would stay while the cabin was being rebuilt or if we could even live there with the memories, but that was a worry for another day.

I shifted quickly, only staying in my bear form for a minute or two to speed up the healing. I didn’t want to be away from Acacia any longer than I needed to be. If I distanced myself from her while shifted it would only agitate my grizzly, and he was already high strung following the discovery of the bruises and cuts that marred her body. Fuck,
I
was high strung.

When I returned to the tiny medical hunt there was a pair of gym shorts waiting for me. Modesty wasn’t top priority with shifters, but I slipped them on anyway. Acacia was naked and covered to the waist with a thin white sheet while Orsa draped leaves over her body. All the blood and dirt had been wiped away leaving nothing but the terrible dark marks that blended into her tattooed flesh and made her look like a creature from outer space. She looked substantially better than she did before, though, and it gave me hope that her recovery would be smooth.

That night I pushed the second cot in the room up against Acacia’s. It was hard and uncomfortable. My feet dangled off the sides and I was so afraid of snapping the flimsy frame that I didn’t move a muscle. But I didn’t need to move. Our hands were laced together in the creased space between the two cots, and that’s how they found us the next morning.

Acacia

“Your skin is like a gallery with all these beautiful colors and pictures. Nate has a few tattoos, but yours tell a story.” Orsa’s hands rubbed the thick cream over my faded bruises. It smelled like mint and lemons, and I was pretty sure I’d never be able to get rid of the scent. After two weeks of receiving the rubdowns it was like the mixture had sunken so deep into my skin that I would naturally smell like the herbal rub. “They make me want to get my own tattoos.”

“You don’t have any? I’ll take you,” I grinned over my shoulder. “I’m itching for a new one. I’m telling you, though; once you start getting them it’s nearly impossible to stop.”

Vex leaned forward in his chair. “The last thing I need is Nate getting on my case again because my mate took you to get a tattoo. Not gonna happen, ladies.” His dark espresso eyes twinkled as he directed his voice in my direction. “I don’t think you have any more open spaces, baby, but I’m sure you could find space for my name.”

“My whole torso is open! I have plenty of room. But it’s bad luck to get your partner’s name tattooed on you. Supposed to be a curse or something.”

“What kind of curse?” Orsa whispered grimly, tensing behind me.

“Not a real one,” Vex rectified. “It’s just something humans say. They think the permanence of the tattoo cancels out the permanence of their relationship, and when that fails you’re left with a mark of the other person’s name. We don’t have to worry about that. Shifters fall hard, fast, and forever.”

“If I get your name tattooed on me it’s going on my ass,” I quipped.

Vex shot me an impish look. “Perfect. It’ll be like a bullseye for my hand and I’ll get to see it when I’m –”

“Sex talk is my queue to leave. It’s weird when you talk about it. I like to pretend like you’re like a doll downstairs. You do scream like a little girl though. I think Thor has a manlier cry than you and he’s only fourteen weeks old.” Orsa placed the jar of salve on the counter and started wiping her hands on a nearby rag.

“That hurts, Orsa.” Vex placed a hand over his chest and feigned sorrow. “I thought we were going to never talk about that moment and you’ve brought it up like, three times this week alone. And for the record, I was going to say ‘see it when I’m giving you a deep tissue massage’. You’re the one with the dirty mind.”

“Thor is the tiniest little badass I’ve ever seen, but I still haven’t convinced you to watch a horror movie with me so the jury is still out.” She had brought her son over one afternoon. With his cherub cheeks, button nose, and head full of black hair, he gave me serious baby fever. “You have a chance to prove her wrong.”

“He won’t,” Orsa chuckled. She slid the strap of her carry on medical bag over her shoulder. “I didn’t use as much as I typically do so it should sink in within five minutes. You’re healing great; I don’t think that the marks on your arms will even be visible in a few more weeks.”

I leaned up and pulled a towel over my bare chest. “Thanks, Orsa. I appreciate it.”

“You can leave the lotion and I’ll apply it tomorrow. I’ve told you a dozen times that you don’t need to come all the way into the reserve to do this.” Vex pushed the chair to the side and stood up.

“It’s nice to get to escape the house for an hour and breathe. Besides, I think tonight might actually be the last night of the cream. We can do one more seaweed wrap to help with your ribs, but you heal like a shifter, Acacia.”

“I’m one hundred percent human. I promise,” I confirmed.

One of the first days of my treatment Orsa asked me if I was an elf or fae because of my pointy ears and defined facial features. I was always teased because of my ears throughout school, but Vex was fascinated with them and he told me I was his wood nymph. Orsa joined the bandwagon and occasionally pressed me for my lineage, determined to find out if I had something magical in my genetic makeup.

“Interesting,” She clicked pensively. She lingered by the door. “Okay, then. Please call me if you have any pains. I’m going to go home and think about a tattoo. I’d really like to get one with you, Acacia.”

“Just tell me when you’re ready and I’ll help iron everything out.”

“Why would we need to iron?” Her face scrunched for a split second. “Oh. You don’t mean to literally iron something, do you?”

I bit my tongue to keep from chuckling. Vex told me that she didn’t understand a lot of references or sayings even after a few years of being fully integrated into society. Orsa had been a rogue bear, but once she mated Nate she joined Stoneclaw. “Nope. It means that I can help you with the rest of the details.”

She left after a quick goodbye. We were staying at the guest cabin on the reserve while Vex’s house –
our
house – was being repaired. I knew I couldn’t let the memories keep me away from a place that Vex loved and wanted to raise his family. I didn’t want to give Slug the power to hurt me from beyond the grave.

As soon as the door clicked behind her I felt the towel being tugged from my body.

“Nate’s going to kick my ass if you convince her to get a tattoo.” Vex’s fingertips trailed over my collarbone.

He looked. He touched. But for thirteen long days he hadn’t done much more than kiss me until my lips felt like they’d fall off. It was too long to go without him. He didn’t neglect my body. No, he’d build me up with his sensual caresses, loving kisses, and sweet words. But both of us went without pleasure because he was afraid that I was too injured still. My ribs did hurt, but it was nothing more than an irritating muscle ache after the treatments that Orsa administered. The bruises that made me look like a muddy pallet had all but faded, and though my skin was a little tender, I knew that Vex could set me on fire and make me feel whole again.

“He has tattoos. It would hardly be my terrible influence alone.”

His hands snaked around and rested on my stomach as he pulled me against him. I felt his face nuzzle the side of my head. “I’m quite fond of your terrible influences, baby.”

“Vex,” I whined. His erection jutted up against my bottom. I was wearing cotton shorts and he was clothed, but the heat was so intense it felt like it melted a hole through our layers. “Don’t tease me.”

His tongue flicked against my earlobe. “I’m not teasing you.” One hand dipped beneath the band of my shorts and cupped my already sensitive sex. I whimpered and arched into him. His voice turned husky. “I need to touch you, Acacia. You smell like heaven and hell… so, so good.” His fingers tapped at my clit with light, short strokes. It was torture. I tried to pull him from my bottoms and turn to paw at him but he kept me firm against him. “Ah, ah, ah. Not yet. Not until you come for me, baby.”

After what seemed like forever without his touch, coming didn’t seem like it would be a problem. I let go and put myself completely in Vex’s hold. One hand continued the ministration on my sex. His fingers sped up as they circled my clit before he dipped even lower and slipped between my folds with a satisfied groan. The other hand massaged one of my breasts carefully. Though the bruises were nearly completely gone, the area was still sensitive enough to require a soft touch.

I hated that I couldn’t watch him. Whether playing with me or fucking me, Vex was a sexual force to be reckoned with. His brooding expression would turn even darker and his determination was physically detectable in his eyes. Those swirling pools of chocolate seemed to glow with desire and anticipation, and if the light caught them at the right moment he looked completely feral. Unequivocally sexy. The skin on his face would pull tight as he strained, and every now and then he’d give up his resolve and let out a run of swears and grunts. Watching him only added to my pleasure.

Thinking about Vex’s face was no substitution for the real thing but it sent me spiraling down an orgasmic path. He sucked on my neck while his rhythm picked up, undoubtedly because he felt the muscles of my sex contract and squeeze his fingers.

I shattered into a fucking million pieces. Bucking back against him while my legs gave out, I felt tears sting the corner of my eyes. Vex remained a statue through it all. Strong, sturdy, and reliable. He held me while I rode out the release of all the tensions from the previous weeks. It crashed around me with a body numbing orgasm that I knew would be the first of many.

As soon as my cries faded to whimpers, Vex pulled his hand out of my shorts and whipped me around. His mouth crashed down on mine. I tasted traces of the mint and lemon from the lotion but Vex’s presence was far more powerful. I wanted to kiss him until all the air left my body and I fell into a Vex induced coma, but he had other ideas.

“I need more.” His guttural voice took a wolfish tone as he added, “And if you don’t get your ass to the bedroom I’m going to toss you over my shoulder.”

That option didn’t seem terrible, but I was determined to have my fill of Vex. I shed what little clothes I had on while I raced back to the bedroom in the guest cabin. I felt him behind me. When I turned around in the room to pull him against me he was lingering in the door frame, completely naked and stroking his cock in slow, languid movements. The picture was so erotic that I nearly came from watching him.

I burned the image in my mind seconds before he pounced.

We tumbled onto the bed. Skin to skin. Mouth to mouth. I was on fire. My mind was torn between chanting
more
and chanting
Vex
. My thoughts came out as jumbled moans and broken phrases as he positioned himself over me. His touch was gentle but it burned me to the core. He tore away from me with a heavy pant. The room was cold, but a sheen sweat already covered our bodies.

“I love you.” The head of his cock budded against my folds and he slowly pressed into me, stretching me at a pace that made me cry out in pleasure and demand more all at once. Our pubic bones were touching. His hair tickled my skin. “And I am so damn lucky to have you, baby.”

I was the lucky one, though. Vex parted the clouds that hovered over me and gave me something I never thought I wanted or needed. Now, life without him seemed impossible. I didn’t need to rely on him for happiness. He was my happiness. He was my strength. He was my motivation to be the best person I possible could be.

“I love you.” I pulled his face close to mine and kissed him like the world was ending. His body moved against mine slowly, the pace completely different from the fervor that kept our mouths together. With a squealing hiss I tilted my head to the side as a moan grew to uncontrollable heights. “
Oh God, Vex!”

He growled and pulled back, lifting my legs in the process. He kept my legs closed and straight in the air. Something in him shifted; and while he wasn’t ravishing me like we were dirty animals desperate to fuck, his pace quickened. His strokes were long and deep. He nearly pulled completely out of me with each rutting thrust. He kept my body anchored to his with one arm while the other traveled between flicking at my nipples and rubbing at my clit. I could feel my orgasm building. It started in my toes and rolled throughout my body.

My body was convulsing with pleasure. When my orgasm finally hit, my toes curled and my eyes squeezed shut. I came silently. I arched off the bed and wrapped my arms around Vex, pulling him back down with me as I fell.

“That’s it, baby,” He croaked in my ear. “Keep coming for me. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are when you come?”

I didn’t think it would be possible to stop even if I wanted to. My body lifted to meet his movements. Heat was forming in my core again – as if it ever even went away in the first place – and I clawed at his back trying to keep myself from passing out from pleasure. Just as I was sure I was going to pass out, he let out a strangled breath and his thrusts slipped to a casual pace.

“You are my world, Acacia.” He trailed sweet butterfly kisses across my jaw before pressing his lips hard against mine for a few seconds before pulling away. His tongue trailed a shutter inducing path to my ear. “You are mine.” His words were finite, but they didn’t scare me. Nothing about the intensity of our feelings scared me anymore. “You will
always
be mine.” His teeth scraped against my collarbone and my breath hitched. I had dreamed about the moment he would claim me. It was a primal urge that started the first time he touched me.

“Always,” I agreed breathlessly.

“I’m going to bite you, Acacia, and then you’ll be tied to me forever.” His breath grated against my skin with short, hot pants as he began to pick up speed again. “I won’t do it until you come, baby, so come for me. Let’s show the world that you’re mine.”

The headboard slammed against the wall with Vex’s next series of powerful thrusts. I felt every part of him inside me as he moved. The friction of our bodies together rubbed against my clit. My body ached with a want I couldn’t quite place but completely understood. His tongue lapped against my skin, as if he were preparing me for what was to come. The spot was sensitive and each swipe of his tongue added to my numbing pleasure.

“I’m going to come, Vex!” I shouted. Or did I yell in my head? I felt like my body, mind, and soul were all different entities. “Claim me. I love you! Please, claim me!”

He knew my body better than I did. His teeth pierced my skin the second the vibrations of my orgasm began. I felt my body stiffen with momentary shock with the pain of the initial bite, but everything after that felt like… it felt like heaven.