Tempest rolled her eyes, “Don’t mind Red,” she breathed. “She just broke up with some asshole, and she’s on a ‘No Men’ kick.”
“She’s leaving out the part about me finding him in bed with some she-bitch. And it’s not a kick,” she insisted. “It’s forever. I’ve sworn off men for fucking ever.”
Howler nodded, not hiding his smile. “Noted,” he said. “And thank you for the intel. I’m sure that we can help you get the technology that you need to figure out who’s making those damn things.” He nodded to the device she still held in the palm of her hand.
Moon, who had followed Red into the office, crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze fixed on Howler. “So, what’s your play, Silverfang? You’ve got the intel from those human enforcers yet, or not?”
“Not yet, but we’re working on it still. It’s only been a few days,” Howler said.
“What’s your club doing? Why is it taking so long?” Moon asked. Her distrust was a familiar, an almost comforting challenge. He met her stare without flinching.
“My club, the Silverfang Brotherhood, is already mobilizing our guys—getting them in place for when the war starts. We’re gathering our own intel and preparing for a coordinated strike. But we need to hit them hard, and we need to hit them everywhere. That means combining our strengths.” He held Moon’s gaze, letting her see the unwavering resolve in his eyes.
Tempest looked from Moon to Howler, then back to the map. He expected her to step in as Prez, but she stayed out of it. The distrust in Moon’s eyes was clear, a reflection of the deep-seated wariness that many of her sisters held against the male shifters. Howler understood it; he had seen enough patriarchal packs abuse their power. But the threat against them all was too great to allow old prejudices to dictate their survival. He needed Moon and all of the female shifters to trust him. And whether they wanted to admit it or not, they needed him and the Silverfang Brotherhood.
“We need a plan,” Tempest declared, her voice firm, cutting through the unspoken tension. “A joint operation. Dark Chaos and Silverfang Brotherhood. We hit their political ties, their tech, and their muscle.” His wolf surged with pride, even though he had no right to. He had no hold on Tempest, but she was magnificent the way that she commanded her pack.
Howler’s eyes, dark and intense, met hers. A silent understanding passed between them, a recognition of the immense risk and the even greater potential. “Agreed,” he said, his voice a low rumble that resonated deep within his chest. He was giving her his promise of unwavering support, and he planned on living up to that promise. Their packs had spent therest of the night going over strategies and trying to find a way to get along and work together. It was a tall order since neither pack seemed to fully trust the other. After the strategy session had broken up and the clubhouse had settled into a restless quiet, Howler knew Tempest would be alone in her office once more. The weight of command felt heavier than ever for him, and he knew that she was feeling the same way. She was leading her pack into a war, an alliance with a male alpha, a path that she probably swore that she would never take. He had done his research on her, and he knew her history, the scars of past betrayals that made her so fiercely independent. Her past made him respect her even more, if that was possible. But he also saw the burden she carried, the loneliness of command. It was a feeling that he knew well. Being in charge meant that sometimes he had to make hard decisions that not everyone agreed with.
He knocked softly on the door and then entered, a plate of food and a fresh cup of coffee in his hands. He placed them on her desk, and she looked up from the map and smiled at him. “What’s this?” she asked.
“Food,” he breathed, “eat it and take a break. You’re pushing yourself too hard,” he said, his voice gentle, a stark contrast to his usual gruffness. But there was something about Tempest that brought out that side of him, and his wolf.
“I’m the President,” she replied, taking a sip of the coffee. “It’s my job to push through and get the job done.”
He leaned against her desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s also your job to lead. And a leader needs rest and food. She also needs support.” His gaze softened, a vulnerability he rarely showed. “Let me help you, Tempest. Not just as an ally, but as something more.” He knew that he was pushing her for something that she might not be ready to give to him. Hell, maybe he was reading the situation all wrong and seeing signs that weren’t really there. But for just a second, he saw the flickerin her eyes, the momentary softening of her defenses. His wolf purred, a deep, satisfied rumble.
The air felt electric around them as the unspoken desire between them became a living entity. He could hear her wolf stir, and he knew that he was getting through to her. He didn’t miss the way that she looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw not just the dominant male, the mysterious stranger, but a partner. He hoped that she saw him as someone who saw her strength, respected her command, and yet offered a solace she hadn’t realized she craved.
“This is dangerous, Howler,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, a hint of fear in her eyes.
“Life is dangerous, Tempest,” he countered, his hand reaching out to her as he let his fingers brush her cheek. “But it’s better faced together.” His touch sent sparks up his arm, igniting the embers of longing he had felt for her every time they were in the same room together. He felt her resistance crumble as she leaned into his hand, her eyes fluttering closed. The weight of command, the constant vigilance, the burden of her pack’s survival all seemed to melt away, and for a fleeting moment, it all seemed to lessen under his touch. She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze, and he saw her own desperate longing reflected back at him.
“Show me,” she breathed, her voice a raw plea. “Show me what us being ‘together’ means.”
Howler’s smile was slow and triumphant. His wolf roared to life as he pulled her from her chair, his arms wrapping around her, lifting her effortlessly onto the desk. The maps and papers were scattered and forgotten as they fluttered to the floor around them. His mouth crushed against hers, claiming her with a hunger that matched her own, a promise of the explicit, untamed passion that was about to ignite between them, a dangerous alliance forged in the heart of a city under siege.Their packs were going over strategies in the next room, but at this moment, in the quiet intimacy of her office, a different kind of battle was being fought, a battle for their hearts, a battle he was slowly, willingly, losing. But it was a battle worth losing if it meant that he’d finally win Tempest’s heart.
Tempest
She had asked him to show her what it would look like for them to be together, and the kiss that he gave her nearly set her soul on fire. Her inner wolf was itching to break free to play with his wolf, and she could tell that he felt the same way.
Howler broke the kiss, leaving them both breathless. Howler’s smile was slow, triumphant, and utterly devastating. His wolf roared, a primal sound of satisfaction at her surrender, and her plea. He pulled her from her chair, his arms wrapping around her waist, lifting her effortlessly. The maps and papers scattered from the desk, forgotten as he settled her onto the polished wood, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips. The cool surface of the desk was a stark contrast to the sudden inferno that ignited between them.
His mouth descended, claiming hers with a hunger that matched her own, a promise of the explicit, untamed passion that had been simmering between them. Her fingers tangled in his silver hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss until it was a desperate, breathless exchange of air and desire. His tongue dueled with hers, a fierce, possessive dance that left her gasping for more.
He broke the kiss, trailing a path of fire down her jaw, along the sensitive curve of her neck, his teeth gently nipping, eliciting a soft moan from her. “Show me what together means to you, Tempest,” he growled, his voice a low, husky rumble that vibrated through her, awakening every nerve ending.
Her eyes were dark with desire as they met his. “You first, Howler,” she challenged. Her voice was a breathless whisper as her own wolf demanded to be sated. She arched against him, her hips instinctively grinding on his thigh. It was a silent invitation that sent a jolt of raw electricity through her body.
He responded with a primal growl, his hands sliding under her leather vest, pushing it up and off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor with a soft thud. His fingers fumbled with the buttons of her shirt, his gaze never leaving hers, and a silent question was in his eyes. She nodded, her breath catching in her throat as he tore the fabric, buttons scattering like fallen stars all over the floor. Her bra followed, tossed aside with a possessive urgency, revealing her full breasts. His eyes devoured her, a primal appreciation that made her nipples harden, aching for his touch. Tempest had never felt more beautiful than in this moment, and that had everything to do with the way Howler was looking at her.
He lowered his head, his tongue tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone, then suckling at the peak of one breast, drawing a sharp gasp from her. Tempest knew that she’d wear his mark in the morning. Her fingers buried themselves in his hair, holding him close, her body trembling with pleasure so intensely it bordered on pain. He moved to the other breast, lavishing it with the same exquisite attention as his hands roamed over her curves, tracing the line of her spine. Howler cupped her ass, lifting her closer as he ground her against his hard erection through their clothes.
“You’re so wet for me, Tempest,” he whispered against her skin, his words a potent aphrodisiac. He pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes blazing with a raw, untamed desire. “Tell me you want me, Tempest. Tell me you need me.”
“I want you,” she gasped, her voice thick with need. “God, Howler, I need you.” She wasn’t above begging him for what she needed if that was what he wanted from her. She had never felt this needy before—not for any man.
Her confession was all the permission he seemed to need. With a swift, decisive movement, he unzipped her jeans, his fingers deftly pushing them down her hips, along with her panties. She kicked them off; her legs wrapped around him as her body was now fully exposed to his hungry gaze. He shed his own clothes with a practiced ease, his powerful body, scarred and muscled, a testament to his alpha status. His erection, thick and throbbing, sprang free, a potent declaration of his desire for her. Tempest looked him over, licking her lips as though she couldn’t control herself. She wanted to lick him from head to toe, and her wolf seemed to agree with her.
