The Vixen Files Read online

  "Perhaps I will let you come this time."

  Oh, he wouldn't intend to, but this time we would both get what we wanted. I was through letting him play alpha.

  A second finger joined his first, plunging into me with short thrusts. On and on until I was aching and desperate, clinging to the edge and more than ready to leap off. When his fingers twisted and began feathering the inside of my body, I moaned, jerking against the sensation.

  I panted out my lines, "Endurance is a good thing. How much longer can you keep it up without some release of your own?"

  He chuckled and pulled back from me. "What makes you think I haven't been jacking off in the dark?"

  Of course I knew he had come already without me, but he thought I was human. There was no way he could know just how sharp my senses were.

  He leaned over me, his hands on my hips and face plunging between my thighs. Between his mouth and tongue latched onto my pussy and the memory of him pleasuring himself... I came with a scream, even while his tongue continued to lave over my sex.

  Before I could regain any semblance of sanity, he redoubled his efforts. His tongue circled my clit while his fingers pumped into my pussy. I came again and again.

  "Fuck me, James. Please fuck me."

  James bit down on my clit, sucking and worrying it until I shattered again. Then softly, almost lower than I could hear, he said, "Tell me your name."

  I'd almost forgotten, this was a role and I'd gotten to the part where I could be honest with him. As his stroking increased once more, I shouted out, "My name is Maelissian Vixandra. Now fuck me."

  "Now I will fuck you, Maelissian Vixandra." He turned and moved between my thighs and in one long stroke, he drove into my body. The shock and depth rocked through me and as he withdrew and plunged forward again, pleasure chased away surprise. Over and over he claimed my body, dominating my flesh as only a mate could do.

  The ropes on my ankles braced me against his motion. Otherwise the slam of his hips would have shoved me back across the bed. As it was, every thrust brought us pelvis to pelvis, filling me completely.

  I tore at the ropes around my wrists. It was past time to get free and show my mate that I could be dominant, too. The fine material shredded under my assault. I launched upward, clutching his shoulders and dragging him down over me. Our lips came together with a crash.

  I bucked against him and clawed at his back. His angle shifted, leaving me gasping and at the edge of the greatest fall. The muscles of my womb clutched at him, quivering. Every beat of my heart slammed through me. The world stilled and then I screamed, "James!"

  As I fell, he came with me. His body arched tight and his fingers dug into my hips. My mate's eyes closed as he breathed out my name, "Maelissian."

  A precious calm settled over me as I cradled him close. I might not know much about James, but I knew he was my mate. Whatever his reasons for the acts of treason he'd committed, we would work it out and find a way to be together. Nothing mattered but the fragile future we might have waiting for us. I stroked my hands down his back, loving the feel of him relaxed in my arms.

  The clock ticking filled the room, overcoming the sound of our slowing hearts.

  Time was a bitch sometimes. Much as I wanted to stay here in the moment, we didn't have that luxury. "James..." It was time to talk. "You have my name. Will you listen now?"

  His arms tightened for a moment. But then he rose up, kneeling between my thighs. His head tilted slightly as if to catch a sound.

  The window glass shattered. James fell back, covering a red bloom on his stomach with both hands.

  "No!" I leapt from the bed, my momentum breaking the bonds at my ankles and carrying me to my wounded mate. His pain was mine, locking my body in shock. I'd only just found James, I wasn't about to lose him now. "How bad is it?"

  Before I could check his wound the front door busted open. There were two sets of footsteps. Between those intruders and the shooter? They'd sent a three man team after my lover.

  It was a team of killers they would never see again. "Just hang on," I whispered before leaving James and creeping into the next room still shrouded in darkness. I moved silently up on the first of the men. I was naked and unarmed, and he didn't stand a chance.

  As the assassin advanced, I shifted forms and rounded the corner at a run. In a single leap I cleared the low sofa and hit the man hard, taking him flat to the floor.

  His gun swung outward, landing a hit to my ribs.

  And then I had his throat. In moments his thrashing stopped and I moved off toward the second man.

  The man was all in black and every bit as armed as the first one. And he was now alerted that their prey hadn't been alone. I shadowed the killer until he reached the body of his fallen comrade. The beam of his lighted scope cut around the room and then fell over the body. At the sight he dropped into a defensive crouch and scanned the room once more.

  He never saw me coming. I threw myself into the air, slamming into his back. A hundred and fifty pounds of wolf crushed him to the floor. The gun fired, hissing through its silencer. He bucked, trying to get leverage to throw me off.

  I bit the back of his thick neck, sinking my fangs deep. But the angle was wrong and I couldn't damage his throat enough to end the fight. The man outweighed me and in moments he could turn the tables. I needed to end it now.

  Jerking hard to the side, twisting and rolling, I put all my strength into one surge. And was rewarded by the dry crack of his neck. The body fell limp.

  The crash of breaking glass sent me racing back to the bedroom where I'd left James wounded and helpless. I rounded the corner at a dead run.

  A single shot rang.

  And a third assassin stumbled toward me and the exit, but he only took two steps before his knees buckled and he fell forward, dead.

  James knelt beside the bed. Blood stained the front of his naked body, but his eyes were bright when they met mine across the room.

  Oh shit! I was in wolf form. Dear Lord, what must he think of finding a wolf in his bedroom? I started to back away before he came to his senses and shot me. I'd shift back in the other room and then return.

  "Maelissian...wait."

  Chapter 4

  * * *

  I froze. How could James know that I was the wolf? Had I given myself away somehow? But even if I had, most humans wouldn't jump to the werewolf conclusion. I searched his face for answers and then my gaze wandered lower to the gunshot wound. It was closing already.

  What the hell?

  "I take it you stopped the two in there?" He stood up, and walked slowly toward the master bath. His steps were careful as if to avoid jarring his healing wound, but this wasn't the walk of a gut shot human.

  There was only one explanation. James Tanner wasn't human.

  Following him, I scented the air, tasting it, trying to define what he was. But all I found was the unique pine scent that was James. My wolf body refused to categorize him as anything but mate.

  "I'm werewolf, like you."

  Shock settled deep. How could that be? I shifted forms, because however this conversation ended, I was pretty sure, I'd have something to say, starting with, "What clan?" All the Valàfrn Werewolves were divided by clans and scattered around the world.

  James dampened a washcloth and wiped at the blood. By now the bullet hole was closed and the skin was puckered and raw looking.

  "I asked, 'what clan?'" If he was Valàfrn then he had a clan. There were only two ways to become a werewolf. He'd have to have been born to a mated pair or be using the magic of his mate... He sure as hell wasn't using my magic to heal that wound or I'd have felt it. Which meant he'd been born a werewolf and that meant he had a clan.

  James finished cleaning his wound before answering, "Fox Clan."

  "No way." I shook my head, rejecting his claim. "You are not of the Fox Clan. I would know because the Fox Clan is mine."

  "You lead them and your daughters...all six of them follow." He was clean now. "I know all about the clan. I've stayed in touch, just not with you."

  I couldn't hold back the growl. "You know nothing about my clan or my family. None of them would betray me."

  "Old Kent still talks to me now and then, but, no, he wouldn't share secrets." He advanced on me, his naked body hardening noticeably. "Nevertheless, I know everything about you, Maelissian. The Fox Clan has been doing good work for its adopted country for centuries, and even now, under your leadership, you have joined the ranks of a secret group called the Hunt Club. Very noble of you. I've spent the last five years of my life gathering intel and setting this trap."

  I backed into the bedroom before I came to my senses. The bastard had planned this all out? His game could have put us all in danger. Anger rose in me like a flash fire. "I don't like being tricked." I stopped retreating and kicked out, landing my heel against his throat and, while he gasped, another kick to the back of his knee, taking him to the floor. In a heartbeat I was on him.

  But my advantage was lost. He rolled us and his larger body pinned me to the floor.

  "I'm done playing. Let me up, or this is about to get ugly."

  "This is no game, not anymore." His body stretched out over mine. His erection nudged between my thighs. "I've been alone too long, for centuries. I need you, just as much as you need me."

  "If you are alone it's your own damn fault. Why didn't you come to America with the rest of the clan?" I tried to focus on the conversation, but the heat from his body was an undeniable distraction from the anger I should be feeling.

  He dragged both my wrists into one firm grip, and with his other hand cupped my face lovingly. "I was here and bound by duty to England's cause. I intended to follow eventually but too much happened and then the clan disappeared. Where did th
ey all go? When the Fox Clan left England, they were over a hundred strong and now only you, your daughters and old Kent remain. What happened?" His words were serious and full of grief, but his warm breath feathered against my neck, encouraging me to forget the hardships, finish our fight and get back to bumping naughty bits.

  "The American wars have cost us much. By the time of World War II, our numbers were decimated."

  "Our clan has always been a patriotic one." His lips came over mine, and when we came together this time it was gentle and sweet, not something I'd expected from James. But then he was turning out to be full of surprises. "Maelissian...such a beautiful name. I have waited so long to claim a mate, almost too long."

  "What makes you think I will accept a traitor as my mate?" My body ignored my question. It already knew who it wanted. I couldn't argue with the outcome, but hated that James had not offered me a choice in the matter.

  "Ah... my little fox, you may lie with your words, but you already know the truth. We are mates and it will be a good pairing for both of us." He released my hands and trailed his fingers over my bare skin, igniting my banked desire into a burst of flames once more.

  "You've betrayed your country and mine. Why shouldn't I kill you now?"

  "Ah, all the spy work I did to catch your attention? Trust me, love, I sold no secrets that did any good. Your timing couldn't have been better. Remember the villains here to kill me? Seems I might have fed them information that was sadly out of date. All my perceived betrayal was designed to bring you to my door, and indeed it worked."

  I let his story soak in. Even while I questioned if I could trust him, the obnoxious man opened his mind and welcomed me in to see the truth. It was all there. His scheming and maneuvering all designed to bring us together. I wondered if we could have just met like normal people. But we weren't normal. We were both werewolves and spies and destined to be mates. "You think you're so clever."

  "I do. Foxes are known for such things, and I have been a fox for over nine hundred years." He nibbled at my ear and finger-combed the red mess of my hair, sending tingles over my scalp.

  So he'd concocted a silly, complicated plan to bring us together. I could live with his antics. At least I knew he'd never be dull. I also knew he was right. We were together and our mating would be a good one. "Speaking of 'I do'..."

  He shifted his weight, forcing my legs wider. "Yes, Maelissian Vixandra, I will marry you and immigrate to your country. I will happily give up all my perceived naughty ways and dedicate my life to protecting your world by day..." His hips rocked, rubbing the head of his cock against my pussy. Before I could complain about his teasing, he slid deep into me, filling me completely. "And satisfying your body at night."

  Wrapping my legs around him, I tugged my hands free and caught his face, kissing him thoroughly. My mate was very good at pissing me off as well as gaining my forgiveness. He was unpredictable and dangerously willing to do whatever it took to get his way. He was annoyingly perfect for me. "Good, oh...very good."

  With long, slow and very deep thrusts, James had me shaking on the edge of completion in minutes. While I gasped for enough air to keep our momentum, he had enough to hold a conversation, words coming in time with his powerful strokes. "We'll get married back in America where our clan can join in the celebration, but what do you think of taking our honeymoon before the wedding?"

  "Yes!" The orgasm hit like a tidal wave and I clenched over him with each tremor of pleasure.

  James growled and slammed deep two more times before joining me.

  As my heart slowed and we gradually became two separate people again, the enormity of all that we'd said sank in. "We're getting married, but going on a honeymoon first? Why first? Where did you have in mind?" Because my devious mate obviously had something planned.

  "I just had three bastards try to kill me. Now that I have a partner I can trust to watch my back, I thought we might go after the ones who sent them."

  "We can't."

  "Of course we can." He claimed a kiss before pulling me to my feet. "You have your passport, I'm sure. I certainly have some documentation or another that will do. We can grab the first fight to Iraq."

  Somehow my mate had a whole plan in place, probably even before I agreed. The wolf in me wavered, unsure if it was ready to give up or even share leadership, but I knew this felt right and I would follow wherever he led. "Iraq? Do you have a more specific destination?"

  "Indeed I do. We'll go talk to a man about a horse, or rather to a spy about some information. Now get yourself together, and we'll head out tonight."

  "I have to check in--"

  He laughed and dragged me to my feet. "Oh no, you don't. Not yet. This is undercover. And our honeymoon. Come on, love. Let's run away together. Better yet, let's catch bad guys together."

  And how could I argue with that?

  Epilogue

  * * *

  Two days later I finally had a moment to check in with Vicki and the Hunt Club. Vicki, of course, had almost declared me dead for being out of touch for what she termed "forever." Her reaction reaffirmed my original thoughts about her taking over. It had been too long in coming.

  "Calm down, Vicki. I'll be home soon."

  "Not soon enough. Hardy is a nightmare and your other children are giving me daily headaches. You need to come home and send me into the war. It would make for a nice peaceful change."

  "I'm not in any war zone, dear." Not at the moment anyhow. "Everything you're complaining about is SOP for running the Hunt Club. I'm sure you're doing just fine. Not only is this assignment important, but even if I could come home I wouldn't. Once I take care of business James and I will both be home."

  "And then we can meet your kidnapper...er, I mean your mate?"

  "Yes, dear. Then you can meet James. I'm quite sure you will approve." At least I certainly hoped the girls liked him. After all, I'd be bringing a fully mature Alpha into our clan, not just as a member, but as a leader. "Speaking of James, he's coming back now. I think our plane is about to load."

  "Wait! Please tell me where you're going, when you'll be back."

  "I can't, dear. I don't know yet. Just hold down the fort. Give your sisters a reason to obey and they will. Don't hold back so much. Sometimes it takes more than a growl to get their attention."

  "You would handle it better than I do."

  I smiled at the grudging sound in her tone. "Of course, but it's time you learn. I'm off. Talk to you as soon as I can." I hung up the phone before she could say another word.

  My mate's arm wrapped around me the moment he was close enough. "Is everything all right stateside?"

  I couldn't be this close and not kiss him so I made no effort to resist, leaning up into his arms and claiming his mouth for a long moment before slowly drawing back. "Vicki is having some small problems, but nothing she can't handle. Seems the new guy they have overseeing the division is a bit difficult. So far he is still denying the existence of werewolves."

  James laughed. "Is that all? Seems to me that would be easy enough to prove."

  "True, but it's more than that. The other girls are giving her a hard time and this guy thinks they are nothing but a bunch of play spies."

  Turning a little more serious, James led the way toward the short boarding line. "If you feel there is a need, we could return to your headquarters before tracking this lead."

  Since the lead we were following happened to be the same guy who'd hired the contract on his life and also seemed to be directing one arm of terrorists, I knew what it meant for James to make the offer. I couldn't accept his kindness. "Vicki can handle it. We have that bastard on the run now. Our honeymoon might just put him out of the game for good."

  James nodded. "Thought you might feel that way." His fingers wove in mine, guiding me up the narrow steps and onto the tiny terribly fragile looking plane. "To Egypt and once there I can chase you around the pyramids."