Chapter 58
As Liam made his rounds, inspecting the warriors and assessing their readiness for the upcoming battle, James approached him with a serious expression on his face. They moved to a more secluded area, away from prying ears, to have their discussion. "While you were away, I had an interesting conversation with Nicole. And I made a more interesting discovery. What if the witch attacks we've been facing are being masterminded by someone within our own pack?" James posed the question, his voice low and cautious. Liam's brows furrowed as he considered James's words. The possibility that a traitor lurked among them had crossed his mind before, but he had dismissed it as unlikely.
But to play safe, he developed his counterattack. He had never said it out loud though, but now, with the rumors swirling and the tensions escalating, the idea held more weight.
"I've thought about that too, James," Liam admitted, his voice tinged with concern. "I've thought about every possible person who can hold a grudge and given my past with women, it could be one of them who wants to see me suffer."
James nodded, his gaze unwavering. "It's a possibility we can't ignore...
Liam's eyes widened as a realization hit him. "Remember the first attack?"
James narrowed his eyes at him, "Yes, the bar."
"It was a complete reenactment of when I met Nicole. You're right James. It's from within because an enemy from far away wouldn't know what happened. That's why I thought it was crucial for us to have this counterpart in motion. We need to be prepared for any scenario, even if it means facing betrayal from within."
James clenched his jaw, his determination evident. "You're right. We can't afford to be blindsided. Our pack's safety and well-being are at stake.
We'll implement the counterpart and ensure that our defenses are strengthened from all angles. We should figure out who it is quickly too. Which female has laid the most claim to you?"
Liam sighed, "I heard Rose challenged Nicole and is spreading the rumors. Nicole put her in her place, of course, but then, we cannot say it's Rose because she only suspected something recently."
James shrugged, "It's surprising that Asha wasn't your first suspect."
"She's friends with Nicole, James."
James chuckled, "That's even more surprising. Why would she be friends with Nicole? Have you forgotten that she was the highest-ranking female in Dark Moon?
You had some sort of relationship. Everyone thought she had become Luna in the long run. You frequently had s*x and discussed plans with her."
Liam swallowed. "But she's the closest person to Nicole. She takes care of her. You've seen them together."
"Yes, Asha was being Asha. She was the same way with every single woman you've brought here. She looked after every one of them. Like Nicole at Crimson, Asha was playing the role of your partner, your Luna." Liam's eyes shot wide. "I should talk to her."
"No, you shouldn't. I'll find her. I'll talk to her."
Liam's shoulders deflated. James's expression softened as his unalloyed loyalty to his Alpha hung in the air, "Look, we may be out of our heads. This attack might be coming from whoever. It might be a male in the council or whoever.
I'll oversee the preparations and make sure our warriors are ready for anything. We need to be vigilant and united if we're going to root out the source of these attacks."
Liam placed a hand on James's shoulder, a gesture of trust and appreciation. "Let's hope we're right, James. You've always been by my side, and together, we'll protect our pack and bring an end to this threat."
They exchanged a determined look, their bond as Alpha and chief warrior firm. The weight of their responsibilities bore down on them, but they were resolute in their commitment to their pack.
"We'll rally the warriors, tighten our defenses, and uncover the truth behind these attacks," Liam affirmed, his voice filled with conviction. "No matter the cost, we'll protect our loved ones and restore peace to our pack."
James smirked, "Go to your mate. Someone is filling her with lies about your past relationships. The rumors are saying that you've destroyed a lot of relationships and a bunch of other rubbish.
We know that they're lies, but your mate is beginning to feel guilty and out of place because of them."
"Thank you," Liam said, as he hurried to find Nicole.
He didn't need to do much, he allowed his senses to lead him to her. He trailed her scent until he found her right where he wanted her to be. She was in his quarters, staring out the window. He moved slowly and snaked his arms around her waist. "Hi," he said, sniffing her hair. His wolf purred within him.
Smiling, Nicole relaxed onto his body. "Hi," she responded. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you more. But I want to know, is this you or is this your wolf speaking."
Nicole made a purring sound, then shifted her body and turned to face him. As he had guessed, it was her wolf speaking. Her eyes were black with red rings around her pupils.
He smirked, his heart breaking a little. He didn't know why it hurt him, what he wanted more than anything was for Nicole to express her feelings for him.
Before he knew it, he latched his lips onto hers as he pushed her against the wall. She moaned softly to his lips as she breathed heavily. She gripped his shoulders, drawing herself against his chest and slinging her legs around his waist. His wolf purred. He loved that his wolf was like that.
Liam was going insane. It didn't matter how many times they had been together. Each time she had him as a rock without even trying.
He wanted to go slow but his d**k pulsed, swelling and bobbing as she managed to rub her warm centre on him. Growling, he kissed her like he had been dreaming, roughly, hungrily and swallowing down her little whimpers.
"Nicole," Liam hissed, his mouth raking down her delicious neck, his left hand sliding up to cup her tits. His wolf wanted to take control.
Her dazed eyes met his. "I need you now," she said hoarsely, tugging on the collar of his shirt. "Now, now, Liam. I can't wait."
His brain immediately rewired itself. His wolf coming to the forefront of his brain. Nicole teased his neck, her thighs clung to his hips as she rocked him to the brink of insanity.
"Nicole," he growled, he was fighting for control with his wolf. Any other mark on her body would seal their mating bond and he didn't want to do it now. Not when he knew that she wasn't ready.
Yet nothing was more satisfying than the fact that she wanted him. He placed her on his desk, his hand framing her face as he marveled over the feverish urgency in her eyes.
She ran her hands up under his shirt, her fingernails dragged through his chest hair. Their lips joined again. Lips-seeking and wet, their kiss escalated to the point of no return again.
They both wrestled with her gown, shoving it down past her hips, lower until it pooled on the floor. She quickly pulled off her panties too and kicked them away, then tugged him forward.
In haste, he grabbed her again as she climbed onto him and he pinned her against the wall.
"You have a f*****g spectacular body," he said in between kisses, finding her incredible a*s with both hands and kneading her buns almost angrily.
She, Nicole was driving him insane. He wanted to do so many things to her. If his d**k wasn't throbbing with pain and his wolf wasn't threatening chaos, he would have gotten down on his knees and worshipped her. Together they undid his fly and set his d**k free. She whimpered, pulling him closer, his lips found hers again, and he kissed her deeply.
"I need you so badly. So bad." Nicole moaned out,
He drove into her as she gasped in his arms. He groaned into the crook of her neck, needing to focus... to focus on staying still. Just long enough to organize his l**t and garner some semblance of control, or his wolf would take charge. "Liam," she moaned, her back arched off the wall. "I want you, please."
He could hear her wolf and he wondered if Nicole herself was into this like him. But she asked and he had to obey. He began to pump hard. Driving into her harder and loving the sounds she was making. Involuntarily, her p***y walls clamped onto his d**k. The sensations shot straight to his brain and his legs almost gave out.
Even though part of him had been so starved for release, he had to make it count. He increased his pace, f*****g her hard. Her legs jostled around his hips with every vicious thrust.
He razed the pulsing spot on her neck with his teeth, his hips moving in hard punches. "I thought about your mouth and your eyes and your legs and your p***y. I never stopped."
Their eyes lock just before their mouths. The hunger and need are exhilarating. Taking hold of her a*s, he hefted her higher against the wall, jerking her knees up and propping them on his hips.
He angled himself deep, inward and up, to hit that spot inside of her-and he thrust at her hard. Her throaty whimpers told him to stay right there and keep delivering and he did.
"Oh my gawd, Liam, don't s-stop..." Her eyes had lost focus, and her nails dug into the skin of his shoulders. "Harder. Harder. You're going to... you're going to make me..."
Her mouth formed an O, and she tightened up, her hands slapping at his shoulders. Then she crashed, her flesh rippling around him. She writhed between him and the wall, fighting the pleasure and requiring it at the same time, her eyes wide and seeing nothing. "Liam," she cried.
Hearing his name on her lips pushed him past his breaking point and the seal ripped off his resistance; he poured into her with a low growl.
Still panting, he carried her off the wall and placed her on the bed. Liam's heart swelled with love and adoration as he held Nicole in his arms, their bodies pressed together in a passionate embrace.
Their lips met in a searing kiss, igniting a fire that burned between them. At that moment, he couldn't help but confess the depth of his feelings.
"Nicole," he whispered against her lips, his voice laced with sincerity, "I love you. With every fibre of my being, I love you."
Nicole's eyes shimmered with joy and vulnerability as she looked into Liam's intense gaze. Her fingers gently traced the contours of his face, caressing his cheek. But she said nothing more.
Liam's eyes bore into hers, his voice firm. "I promise, Nicole. I will always be by your side, protecting you and loving you. Nothing will tear us apart."
He wanted more from her, he wanted her to promise that she wasn't going anywhere. He wanted to pleasure her. But firstly, he needed to extinguish the flames of lies that had been told to her.
He wanted to protect her from the painful truths of his past, yet he knew that honesty was essential for their bond to grow stronger.
"Nicole, I need to tell you about my past," he began, his voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability. "There are things I've done, things I'm not proud of. But I want you to know the truth, to understand why I've become what I am today!" Nicole's eyes softened and she kissed him again.
Liam's mouth opened to tell her everything when a sudden mind link from James interrupted their intimate moment. Liam's brow furrowed with concern as he listened to James's urgent message.
Asha is missing, James's voice echoed in Liam's mind. We need to find her. Do you know anything about her latest whereabouts?
Liam was on his feet immediately. His heart skipped a beat, the weight of the situation bearing down on him. He turned to Nicole, his eyes filled with worry. "Nicole, the pack is in danger. We need to find Asha. Have you seen her recently?" Nicole's expression mirrored Liam's concern as she recounted the events that had transpired and Asha's cryptic words. She held nothing back, sharing every detail with Liam.
Liam's mind raced, Asha had said a lot of things to Nicole and a lot of them were lies. His need to set things straight was as much as his need to find Asha immediately.
"Listen," he gritted out, "A lot of things..."
Another commotion resounded outside. His eyes widened, and as he was about to find his clothes, the door burst open and a battered and bruised Garrett appeared, accompanied by Lilian.
Liam's eyes widened in shock as he took in their injuries. He quickly shifted gears, his instincts as Alpha kicked into high gear. "What happened? Who attacked you?"
Nicole scrambled to put on some clothes. She could feel the heat of anger from Garrett and Lillian directed at her. Luckily, Liam had moved just in time and blocked them from seeing her nakedness.
Nicole saw a flash of anger in Garrett's eyes before he focused on his Alpha. His voice was strained as he spoke, "It was a group of rogues. They caught us off guard, but we managed to fight them off. We need to prepare for an imminent attack. It was an ambush." At that moment, an alarm sounded throughout the pack, signaling the impending danger. Liam immediately knew what was happening. It was the witch.
Liam's mind cleared, his focus shifting to the imminent threat. "Alert the warriors. We need to defend our pack. Nicole, stay close to me."