Pleasure Pact Read online

  “Nash.”

  He looked away from the bed to the naked beauty standing in the bathroom doorway.

  “We fucking or not?”

  Nash grinned and walked toward her. “We’re fucking.”

  * * * * *

  They washed, soaping themselves and one another. The moment they were rinsed, Fawn pinched Nash’s butt cheek.

  He palmed her ass and pushed her back against the slick wall of the shower.

  Fawn wrapped her legs around his lean hips and her hand around his cock.

  He belonged to her. Every inch of him was hers to love and to please. She stroked his length, sliding her fingers from the thick root to the silky head and back again.

  “My brain goes to mush when you do that.”

  She loved the feel of him, silk over steel. Fawn seated the head against her pussy. “But you’re hard where it counts.”

  He thrust, pushing deep inside her.

  “I like mating sex.”

  He nipped her earlobe. “Next time let’s fuck in the moonlight.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “Fucking you is always fun. Kiss me, Fawn. Fuck me. Love me.”

  She did just that, her lips clinging to his, her hips moving with his and her heart pounding against his.

  His strokes were slow, deep and sensual. Each slide of flesh and catch of breath bonded them together as alpha mates.

  She loved him so much it hurt. Tomorrow, they’d encounter a storm of controversy. Tonight, they strengthened their bond to face it.

  His breathing became heavier, his strokes faster, the edge closer.

  Fawn squeezed down on him, taking them both to the sweet edge and beyond.

  The kiss broke. His hips stilled.

  “I’ll never get enough of you.”

  She’d never get enough of him, but first they had to find a way to be together. Leaving was an obvious but painful solution. Just as it would have shredded their hearts to be apart, losing their packs would tear into the fabric that made them what they were.

  Wolves belonged together, they were stronger together.

  Fawn wanted to stand and fight for the right to choose her own mate, for her legacy to be the pack leader and to dissolve the treaty.

  She wanted Nash at her side.

  If they lost the fight, they’d face banishment from both packs.

  Nash turned off the shower. “I didn’t have dinner. Did you?”

  She shook her head. “Let’s order room service.”

  “We’d better ask housekeeping for fresh sheets. The ones on the bed are ripped and furry.”

  “Do you think anyone heard our howls?”

  “I imagine everyone on the fourth floor knows mating werewolves are in the building.”

  * * * * *

  The sheets were changed and the bed made before room service delivered their steaks. The meat was delicious, cooked rare and served with a bottle of red wine. The table in the living room of the suite was small and intimate. Nash had turned the lamps down low.

  After dinner, they moved to the sofa, propped their feet on the ottoman and sipped their wine. Fawn leaned her head against Nash’s shoulder. She wanted every evening to be like this, the two of them sharing dinner and a glass of wine at the end of the day.

  “How are we going to handle this?”

  “The elders can’t change the fact that we’ve mated,” he said, kissing her hair. “They can’t mate you to another.”

  She took his hand and squeezed it. “They didn’t sanction our bond, so they will take action. They’ll want to send a strong message, especially Elder Clay. I’m betting on banishment, because that’s the worst thing they can do to me.”

  “My elders may do the same,” Nash said. “My father will be shamed. He’s a good man, but he lives to serve the pack. Banishment may well be my punishment.”

  “One thing is certain, the Chanta won’t accept you and the Arasani won’t accept me.”

  He sat his wine aside and lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. “You’re more important than my family and the pack. I’d rather live anywhere with you than at home without you.”

  “I think we should petition both councils to allow us to be mates. They’ll turn us down, but at least both the Arasani and the Chanta will know what has happened.”

  “Will anyone support you?”

  “I know many of the females would have supported a petition to end the exchange, but this is so much more.”

  “I know two people who will support us, Derek and Ella. They graduate in June and they’re attending the same college. Derek told me if things don’t change by the time they finish their degrees, he and Ella aren’t coming back.”

  “But Derek and Ella are teenagers. The elders won’t listen to them.”

  “Do you have any idea how many teenagers cross the river every weekend? It isn’t just Ella and Derek breaking the rules.”

  “That’s still going on? When that August moon party was busted by security last summer, the elders really came down on the parents. Elder Clay almost had heart failure when he found out there were Arasani wolves on our land.”

  “It didn’t go over real well on our side of the river,” Nash said.

  “I thought those teenagers got the message.”

  “Arasani males stopped crossing the river, but the Chanta females do it on a regular basis.”

  Fawn sat up and looked at him. “Then why don’t I know about this?”

  “Because I instructed my men to gently send home any Chanta female caught on our side of the river. Your security force treats them like criminals.”

  “Thanks to Elder Clay.”

  “Those youngsters don’t give a damn about the treaty. They interact at school with each other and the humans. They like each other. They think we adults are idiots.”

  “I thought they were just being rebellious.”

  “They are, but there’s more to it. For some reason, the Arasani pack is producing mostly males.”

  “The Chanta are birthing more females,” Fawn said.

  “Little wonder they defy their parents and the elders. Nothing is more driven than young wolves with raging hormones.”

  Fawn sipped her wine. “Did you ever cross the river?”

  “Sure, my friends and I used to party with the Chanta. Damon used to party with us.”

  “Damon?”

  “Your brother was a hellion. None of his buddies ever told on him. How come I never saw you?”

  “Because I never broke the rules.”

  “You would have had fun. Like tonight.”

  “When I break a rule, it’s really a whopper.” Fawn rested her forehead against his cheek. “What are we going to do?”

  “Fight for each other. If we’re banished, we’ll leave and start our own pack. A mix of Chanta and Arasani.”

  Banished wolves carried a stigma. They weren’t welcomed among the many werewolves whose careers forced them into the human urban centers. She’d never considered trying to lure others away from the pack. “You aren’t serious?”

  “I think we can count on Derek and Ella to join us.”

  Ella’s father was new to the elder council. “Elder Rayne would really hate me if she did. I’d break her mother’s heart. I couldn’t do that.”

  “Okay. No matter what happens, we’re in this together. When we stand before our elders, we do it together.”

  “Elder Clay will be apoplectic if I bring you into the elders’ chamber without formal permission.”

  “The old ones still carry the hatred passed down from the years of war. Many Chanta and Arasani were killed. We look to the future. Elder Clay looks to the past.”

  “His was the loudest voice against giving me the position of pack leader,” Fawn said. “What we’ve done will only reaffirm his feelings.”

  “You’re not going to face them alone. The elders have to see that no matter what they do, we’re together, we’re mates, we’re one.”

  “We
should speak with an elder first. Do we approach a Chanta or an Arasani?”

  Nash brushed his thumb over her cheek. The fire in his whiskey-colored eyes said he was done talking. “Let’s decide over breakfast.”

  * * * * *

  “I think we made the right choice,” Fawn said. “Your father is wonderful. Your mother was surprisingly sympathetic. I thought she’d hate me.”

  Nash opened the driver’s door of Fawn’s vehicle. Since his father was an Arasani elder, Nash thought he should know first.

  “My father is wise enough to see the positive side to our bond as well as the negative side. He’s wanted to renegotiate the treaty for years. He’s never been a supporter of the sacrifice moon,” Nash said. “My mother was promised to another wolf, but she loved my father. They petitioned the elders for permission to bond.”

  “She understands our dilemma.”

  “Completely. She and my father had decided to leave the pack if their request was denied.”

  “I’m glad we have their support.”

  “So am I,” Nash said. “But it won’t guarantee that the rest of the Arasani elders will approve my petition to have you recognized as my mate.”

  “At least your parents won’t turn against us,” Fawn said. “I don’t think my mother will be as accepting. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s a hurdle we’ll have to face. She’s lost her mate and her son. She doesn’t deserve to lose you. For that I’m sorry.”

  Fawn slid into the driver’s seat. “I’d better go.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

  “It’s been a horrible year. I think I should break the news.”

  Nash hated having Fawn go it alone. He was her alpha. He should be at her side.

  “I want to be with you when you are summoned to the elders’ chamber.”

  “I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

  “I love you, Fawn.”

  Nash wanted to give her a quick kiss, but Fawn’s car was parked on the street in front of his parents’ home. She was too well known to not be recognized. If a neighbor saw them kissing, the news would be all over the pack and that would really upset the elders.

  “I love you,” she said, firing the engine.

  Nash shut the door and stepped back.

  With a wave, Fawn drove away.

  Danath Blackthunder stepped out the front door. Nash joined him on the porch.

  “What do you think our chances are?” Nash asked.

  “Fawn isn’t just a Chanta she-wolf. She’s a Rivers. For many, Talon is a hated figure.”

  “She’s not responsible for the actions of her ancestor.”

  “I hope everyone will see it that way. The Chanta and the Arasani have been living side-by-side for two hundred years. It’s time to live like neighbors instead of enemies.”

  “Let’s hope the elders see it that way,” Nash said, extending his hand.

  His father clasped his hand, then gathered him close. “Good luck, son.”

  Pride swelled in Nash’s chest. His father was standing behind him. No matter the outcome, Nash’s parents would be part of his and Fawn’s life.

  But would Fawn’s mother support them?

  * * * * *

  “You can’t do this!” Tears rolled down Lyla Rivers’ cheeks. “I won’t have it.”

  Fawn’s heart ached. The loss of her father and brother had drawn Fawn closer to her mother. Fawn hated that she was dragging her mourning mother through another kind of hell.

  At forty-seven, Lyla was still attractive, with a long life ahead of her, a life without her mate. “I’m sorry, Mama.”

  Pain mixed with anger flashed in Lyla’s brown eyes. “Why couldn’t you have found a Chanta mate?”

  “I’ve never felt for any wolf what I feel for Nash,” Fawn said, taking her mother’s hand. “I’ve loved him for a long time.”

  Lyla jumped to her feet, shaking off Fawn’s hold. She walked up to the fireplace and stood before the blazing fire. Then she turned to face Fawn. “That’s why we shouldn’t have anything to do with the Arasani clan.”

  “Nash is a wonderful person, handsome, charming. You’d like him if you’d give him a chance.”

  “Those Arasani are charmers. Your father was mesmerized by the she-wolf they sent for the pleasure pact. He enjoyed those nights he spent with her on the mountain so much, he put off our mating bond for three years.”

  Shock rippled through Fawn. She’d always believed her parents were a love match and her mother’s strong objection to the exchange was based on principle instead of jealousy. “You had to force Dad to mate with you?”

  “He was promised to me. Our bond was sanctioned when we were children. I was not going to lose him to an Arasani bitch and I’m not going to lose you.”

  “Nash is my mate. Nothing can change that.”

  Lyla shook her head. “If I object, the elders will listen.”

  Pain knifed through Fawn. If her mother opposed the bond, not one of the elders would support Fawn. “You’d prefer I leave the pack?”

  “You can’t leave. You’re a Rivers. You’re the pack leader. You can’t throw that away.”

  Fawn loved her job. She was proud of her heritage, but she loved Nash, heart and soul. She believed the Moon God had brought them together.

  “I’m going to request the elders sanction my bond with Nash Blackthunder. I’d like you at my side.”

  Lyla lifted her chin. “Never.”

  “I love you, Mama,” Fawn said, slipping on her leather jacket. She picked up her purse and walked to the front door. “But my destiny lies with Nash.”

  Fawn opened the door and stepped outside. Dark clouds obscured the faint winter sun. The temperature had dropped and it seemed a deep cold had suddenly settled over the mountains.

  Buttoning her leather jacket, Fawn walked to her car. She hoped her mother would call her back and they might work through her mother’s objections. The door to her childhood home remained closed.

  Chapter Nine

  With Nash at her side, Fawn approached the five elders of the Chanta pack. The Arasani elders were still debating over Nash’s petition to have Fawn accepted as his alpha mate, but the men Fawn had known her entire life had demanded an immediate audience.

  The Chanta elders hadn’t invited Nash, but he’d insisted on being at her side.

  She immediately noted the lack of chairs, telling her the elders intended to make the audience short. Had they already voted to banish her?

  Fawn trembled at the thought. Sensing her need, Nash took her hand in his and squeezed. No matter what happened, he was here for her.

  She stood in the spot where she’d often sat.

  “Most honored elders, thank you for granting me this audience,” she said.

  “You were summoned,” Elder Clay said.

  Fawn ignored the technicality. “Elder Lance, I would like to introduce my guest, Nash Blackthunder of the Arasani pack.”

  “He is not a guest,” Elder Clay said.

  “That is true,” Nash said. “But I respectfully request to be heard.”

  Elder Clay pointed his finger at Nash. “You have nothing I want to hear, Arasani.”

  “Elder Lance, I believe this honored body of wise wolves is aware of my reputation. I have always treated the Chanta with respect. I am Fawn’s alpha mate, a role which I cherish. I ask for your sanction of our bond.”

  Elder Clay stood. “Never.”

  Elder Lance cleared his throat. Elder Clay sat down.

  “This unorthodox request should have been brought to me,” Elder Lance said.

  Fawn’s mother had called Elder Clay. By the time Fawn had tracked down Lance on the golf course, the news had spread throughout the Chanta pack. She would not publicly criticize her mother for the breach of protocol. “I wish to offer my sincere apologies, Elder Lance.”

  “The elders of the Chanta pack have voted. You have mated without proper sanction and for that reason you have be
en removed as temporary pack leader.”

  Fawn’s heart constricted. She’d lost the job she loved, the career she’d hoped to enjoy for decades. She’d wanted to make a difference. But the worst was yet to come.

  “Your petition to have your bond sanctioned with Nash Blackthunder is denied.”

  There it was. The cut to her heart ran deep. The wolf she loved had been officially rejected by her pack. Nash’s hand tightened around hers, as if to apologize for not measuring up.

  But Elder Lance wasn’t finished. Fawn expected the blow, but that didn’t stop the pain. The elder’s voice was low but clear.

  “Your decision to mate with an Arasani werewolf demonstrates disloyalty to your elders and your pack. This betrayal cannot be forgiven. Fawn Lyla Rivers, you are hereby banished. You will leave Chanta land within twenty-four hours and you cannot return as long as this stain remains upon you.”

  Her knees started to buckle, but Fawn snapped them back. She would stand straight. She would not fold.

  Nash placed his arm around her waist, giving her the support she desperately needed.

  “I regret the decision you have made,” Nash said. “The loss is yours.”

  Her mate guided her out of the elders’ chamber. The double doors opened to a group of six young she-wolves. Ella Rayne stood at the front of the group.

  “They denied your petition?”

  Fawn couldn’t speak. Her throat was clogged and her eyes were burning with unshed tears. If she spoke, she’d break.

  “We were denied,” Nash said. “Fawn has been banished.”

  “What?”

  Six voices rose in protest.

  “Thank you, Ella,” Nash said.

  “Thanks to all of you,” Fawn whispered. She hugged the young she-wolves and, with Nash at her side, rushed to his vehicle.

  “Your house, my house or a motel?” Nash asked, pulling away from the elders’ lodge. “I’ll take you anywhere you’re most comfortable.”

  “Not my house. Not right now. If I go to your house, will it upset your family?”

  “My parents are fine with the situation. If my relatives oppose us, fuck them. If my friends object, they’re no longer my friends.”

  “I’d rather go home with you.”

  “My second-in-command has agreed to cover me until everything is sorted out. You’ve never seen my house, and if the Arasani elders show any sense, the house will be our house.”