Xander wheeled her into the room. Our eyes locked for the first time in more than a month. For the first time with no secrets between us. And, for a moment, my heart ceased to beat while I listened to hers thunder in her chest.

"Leave us," Xander said to the men.

Was he sure?

He only held my gaze, daring me to question him.

"You have five minutes. Make good use of them."

Unlocking the cell door, Xander wheeled her into the prison within the room. Panicked, I backed up, exhaling loudly.

"Xander," I started, eyes locked on Aria.

"You won't hurt her," he said just like he had last night.

"You won't," Aria said, smiling her sweet smile.

"She stays in her seat at all times," Xander said, stepping out of the cell and pretending to look over paperwork on the desk just outside. Truly, he wasn't taking any chances with his granddaughter in the cell with me, and I was glad.

I sat on the cot and took her hands in mine. She looked at them then at my bare chest, my face and hair. I worried at what she saw, how she saw it, until she met my gaze again. "I missed you."

I exhaled in relief. "I missed you." I leaned in to take her in my arms, but when she made to stand, Xander cleared his throat. He had one eye on us, as he should.

"Ugh." She sat back.

"I'm sorry you were hurt. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

She shook her head. "How could you protect me against a dozen machine guns?"

"I should never have placed you in danger to begin with."

"I don't think it was you who did that."

No, I supposed it wasn't. It felt right, and I realized for the first time in six years, I felt clean. Something else had happened the night my father had been killed, or in the weeks following his death. I'd somehow forgiven myself for my mistakes.

Her eyes glistened with tears, and I reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears before taking her face into my hands. "I love you, Aria. I love you so much, and once I'm out of here, I'm never leaving your side again."

Those tears fell as she reached for my face, running her knuckles along my beard. "I hope you won't. When I thought you were dead, I wanted to die, too. I don't ever want to be away from you again."

"That's not happening."

"What is happening?"

"Savage Blood will become a part of Rage. Xander will rule as Alpha of Rage, and I will take my place where I was always meant to be, as Alpha of Savage Blood." It still pained me to think this was because my father had been cut down too soon, but this was life, and it was time for me to accept my duty and lead my people. "When Xander retires, for lack of a better term, the packs will be united as one, with me as Alpha."

"But you didn't want this. You didn't want anything to do with the packs."

"That was when I thought they'd betrayed me. But it turns out there was only one bad seed. I realize my duty, Aria, and my pack needs me to lead them now. Question is, is this what you want? A life at my side, as my wife and mate?"

"I can't want anything else, Zane. This wasn't what I expected to find when I came searching, but I'm yours. What my mom and dad should have done all those years ago is what we're going to accomplish. It feels right, like I'm honoring their memory. Honoring the memory of my brother."

We had a duty, both of us. It didn't need to be discussed, it simply was. There was no walking away for either of us. If that happened, war would break out in time, and the packs would destroy one another. My father had said I didn't know the meaning of the word duty. I only hoped that wherever he was now, he'd forgiven me and was proud of me.

"Aria, I think we should get you back to the medical facility," Xander said.

"Just a few more minutes. Please, Grandfather."

"Why don't I come with you?" I asked. I felt good. I felt right. I wouldn't hurt her or anyone else. And it was time to begin my new life.

Aria looked hopefully at Xander who studied me then nodded.

"I think that would be a good idea."

Epilogue.

Zane I'd missed the hot scratch of the needle, the way it could send you to outer s.p.a.ce.

Aria sat across from me, leafing through a magazine as the artist worked, tattooing the new mark of Rage's Savages, the united pack, on my back. It would cover nearly the whole of it, leaving the black rose and what remained visible of the original Savage Blood tattoo untouched. Xander had wanted me to patch it over, but I would not. It was my history.

We'd defeated Ace, and all loyal to him were either dead or exiled. Mostly dead. I sometimes wondered if that part bothered Aria, but if it did, she didn't let on. Xander still ruled as Alpha, but, within weeks, I would be taking over.

I reached a hand to touch Aria's - my wife's - newly rounding belly. The first of the next generation was on his way. The next Alpha and the first of many, I hoped.

She smiled, covering my hand with hers. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah. Really good."

Three years had pa.s.sed since the night at the bar. Three years since we'd defeated Ace. Once we'd both healed, I'd taken her away for a year, traveling anywhere and everywhere we wanted. Xander had been p.i.s.sed as f.u.c.k, but we'd needed that time. I wanted Aria to be sure of what she wanted, of what being by my side would entail. I was destined to be Alpha, and it was a duty I could not turn my back on, not again. I didn't even want to. But I wanted that year with her in case she did say no. In case she decided she wanted normal. But that normal would mean a lonely existence for her. If she'd chosen that route, she'd never be able to have children because, as soon as that happened, normal would go out the window.

Funny enough, all that time, she'd been thinking the same thing for me. Wanting me to be sure.

I was. We both were. Maybe for the first time in our lives, we both knew what we wanted, where we belonged. I was grateful it was together. h.e.l.l, every time I looked at her face, I was f.u.c.king grateful.

"Okay, almost done, Z," Mike, the tattoo artist said.

Aria put her magazine down and walked behind me to have a look. "Wow. It's amazing."

"Just a few finishing touches, and voila." Mike stepped back, and I took the handheld mirror to see, smiling at the result.

Xander had done well.

Rage's Savages had preserved the wolf coming out of the man from Savage Blood, but that man now walked out of the mouth of Rage's skull, swallowed up by it, the wolf bigger and stronger for it. On the floor of the cave that was the skull lay a single black rose, the names of both Savage Blood and Rage inscribed there in tiny lettering, along with the RIP they deserved. It was time to let the past rest, and now, together, we would begin anew. My only regret was that Fly wouldn't be along for the journey. After taking care of Savage Blood while I was unable to, he'd said his good-byes and left. Last time I heard from him was a year ago.

"Well, what do you think?" Aria asked.

"It's amazing," I said, coming back to the present. It was where I belonged now. Here, with her.

"Thanks," Mike said, packing up his things, I took Aria into my arms and kissed her, her little belly putting s.p.a.ce between us that hadn't been there before.

"Wait, Zane," Aria whispered, tilting her head in Mike's direction.

"I don't care." I nuzzled her neck, inhaling deeply. Her scent had changed a little since she'd become pregnant. That was how I'd known before she had. She was still a little p.i.s.sed at that.

"I'll see myself out," Mike said.

"Good thinking." I laughed, already unzipping Aria's dress as I heard the door open and close.

"You're insane!"

"You're driving me there." It was true I couldn't get enough of her.

She wrapped her hands around my neck, taking care not to touch the new tattoo, and turned her face up to kiss me as I pushed the straps of her sundress off her shoulders. She stepped out of the dress so she stood in a yellow bra, matching panties, and flip-flops. I pulled back and looked at her. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s had swollen to more than a generous handful, and her little belly protruded as big as half a basketball.

"You make me happy, Aria."

She smiled and pulled me down to kiss her. I worked her bra off, cupping her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, hearing her moan as I kneaded them, weighing each in my palms as I knelt before her, kissing her neck, the soft mounds of each breast, sucking on her hardened nipples before pulling her panties down off her legs and sitting her down so I could lay my head on her belly and listen to my baby in there. Listen to the heartbeat too faint to be heard by human ears, but like a soft roar to mine.

"Can you hear him?" Aria asked, her fingers playing in my hair.

"Yeah. It's amazing."

Tears had warmed her eyes when I looked up at her.

"I was thinking of names..." she began.

I sat back on my heels. I knew what I wanted - or didn't want - but this was going to be up to her.

"How about Bryan?" She waited hesitantly for my response. She wouldn't want to name our baby after my father, and I understood that. Derek, perhaps, though? I guess I'd expected that.

"Bryan?" It made perfect sense.

She nodded.

"I think it's perfect."

"I wonder who he'll resemble."

I put my hands on her knees. "I'll wonder about that later. Right now, I've got something else on my mind." Tugging her forward, I pushed her knees wide and looked at her, just looked at her p.u.s.s.y for a long time before kissing it then opening the lips to find that swollen little nub and closing my mouth around it, watching her head fall back as she moaned.

I could eat Aria all day long. Her taste was like a f.u.c.king drug, and the longer we were together, the stronger our bond seemed to grow.

Reaching to undo my jeans, I rose up on my knees, pushing her backward as I continued to suck her c.l.i.t, shoving my jeans down and off and taking my c.o.c.k into my hand. I made her come first. I loved to hear her come, her sighs and moans heaven to my ears, and once she was finished, I stood, my legs on either side of her, my c.o.c.k in her face.

She opened her mouth to lick my c.o.c.k, dragging her tongue along its length, circling the head, taking in the little drop there before closing her mouth around my c.o.c.k, dropping to her knees as she did. I fisted a handful of hair and watched her work, wanting to explode into the back of her throat and watch her swallow. I wanted to bend her over and f.u.c.k her from behind. I wanted to lay her on her back and watch her eyes as she took me in her a.s.s. And in the end, I decided I'd have all three: her mouth, her p.u.s.s.y, and her a.s.s.

Laying her back, I turned her to her side, pushing her legs up, and slid into her wet, waiting c.u.n.t. I slapped her a.s.s once then twice, drawing a deep moan from her as I watched, moving slow and deep inside her, pressing one finger to her back hole.

"I love your face when I f.u.c.k you."

"I love yours." She closed her eyes and bit her lip. "That feels so good, Zane."

"Are you going to come with my c.o.c.k in your p.u.s.s.y or with my c.o.c.k in your a.s.s, Aria?"

She swallowed, her eyes glazed over, her mouth slack. "Both." That was my girl, and with that one word, I closed two fingers over her c.l.i.t and she came, her p.u.s.s.y walls throbbing around my c.o.c.k, almost making me come with the pressure. I pulled out slowly, still squeezing her c.l.i.t, and slid the head of my c.o.c.k into her a.s.shole. It was soaked with her juices, and as one o.r.g.a.s.m abated, I pushed deeper, moving in and out of her, her a.s.shole trained to take me now. She opened her eyes, gripping the covers, her mouth tightening as the friction of my c.o.c.k inside her a.s.s brought another o.r.g.a.s.m on the heels of the last and she cried out. I f.u.c.ked her harder, my own release moments away as I took that tight a.s.s, the thought of filling it with my c.u.m driving me over the edge as I came inside her, watching her watch me as we met in ecstasy.

It would always be like this for us. I swore it. I'd lost her once. I wouldn't lose her again. I was determined now to keep her, to keep my family safe and close. Loved and untouched by monsters.

The End Did you like what you just read?

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Read on for excerpts from Natasha's novels: Deviant, Theirs To Take, Captive, Mine and Given To The Savage.

Deviant

Chapter One.

Julien I'd been watching her for the last three days.

I didn't know what it was I found so appealing about the girl. She was a sneaky little peeping Tom. Maybe it was her pretty green eyes, or how wide they grew at the things she watched us do. At the things I made the girl whose a.s.s I was currently f.u.c.king do. Regardless, her fate was sealed the moment she pushed the curtains aside and saw my face.

No witnesses, no matter what. That was rule number one. It had to be.

She hadn't yet realized I'd seen her, that she was being watched as she herself was doing the watching. Her attention was fully absorbed by the f.u.c.king. But I studied her face, saw her mouth open, her little pink tongue dart out to lick those full lips, her throat work as she swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing a deep red.

Her face imprinted on my mind. I'd recognize her anywhere now. It was one of the things I was so good at - a blessing and a curse all at once. Never forget a face. Never forget their eyes, how they change when they realize what's happening, when terror grips them.

Forgetting was a gift. People spent their lives chasing the past, trying to hold on to something long gone. Desperate to remember. Me? I wished I could forget.

It had been three days since she'd first seen us. I was sure it was by accident, or at least it had been the first time. Her room was situated directly across the courtyard of the cheap little hotel. She'd pulled the curtains apart to open her window when she'd stumbled upon the sight of us f.u.c.king. I'd ducked my head out of sight, and wouldn't have thought much of it, but when, a moment later, the small hand pulled the curtains just a little wider, just wide enough to see, my curiosity had gotten the best of me.

It had been her face. It was just so innocent, so... corruptible. Irresistible to a man like me. I always liked to play with them first, f.u.c.k with them a little. It was cruel, reprehensible, really. I knew it, but it didn't make me enjoy it any less.

The blonde began to squirm beneath me, almost stealing my attention from the woman in the window. I glanced down at her, at the ma.s.s of dyed hair spilling over her back, mascara smeared across her face, her mouth open. I looked at her a.s.s, at my c.o.c.k disappearing inside it. She'd been a good f.u.c.k, but this would be the last time. Three days was long enough. I had a job to do, after all, and the girl in the window would already delay me. I couldn't exactly a.s.sa.s.sinate my mark in front of her. She'd freak out, and that was more attention than I needed.

Gripping the blonde's hair tightly, I tugged hard, giving her a grin she likely thought a smile before pushing her face into the mattress to shut her up. She mewled and I rubbed her c.l.i.t with my free hand, turning that sound into something else. Pain and pleasure, pleasure and pain. They never knew which it was; there was never any clear line for them.