Hard to Kill (Hell Hounds Harem Book 6) Read online

  Tilly’s gaze lingered on Drake. Dressed in nothing but a pair of gym shorts, his smooth back was sloped with lean lines and broad shoulders. His ass looked like he could crack walnuts with it. Her mouth watered at the thought of sinking her fingers into his backside while he fucked her senseless.

  Was it too early for a round in the dojo?

  Heat pooled between her thighs and Drake made a sharp inhale before he turned to look at her again. Could he smell her desire? By the way his shorts were tenting, she'd say yes.

  Tracking his movements like a cougar, Tilly saw him go to a tray resting on her dresser. The sound of a package tearing open was as loud as firecrackers in her ears.

  Bishop jerked in the bed, "Katie."

  Tilly's heart stopped. Her attention was no longer on the package of saltines Drake had opened. Now, she was fixated on Bishop.

  "He dreams of her a lot now," Valor's soft tone held a hint of sorrow. "Ever since the catacombs, lass."

  Katie was Bishop's daughter. Knowing how she died made something ball a fist and hit Tilly in the gut. She actually doubled over and held her belly from the pain.

  "Eat," Drake held a cracker out for her.

  She didn't want to eat, but also knew how important it was to Drake for her to be taken care of.

  Poor Katie, she thought while nibbling on her saltine. At least she's in a better place.

  The cracker turned to ash in her mouth. That she was using the phrase again so fucking soon pissed her off big time.

  Was Katie better off? Tilly didn't know. No child should be without a good father - in Heaven or otherwise. Bishop had abandoned his daughter to the great beyond and went in the opposite direction because he didn't feel like he deserved to be with her forever and ever.

  Fuck that. Bishop wasn’t the reason Katie was dead. Her mother had poisoned both the child and Bishop. Tilly hoped that bitch was rotting in Hell for it too. Was she a malanum now? Would she ever escape Hell’s prisons and give Tilly a chance to hunt her down and stab her for a little while before tossing her into a Hell hole?

  One could only hope.

  Tilly's mind soared to memories of her own father. That man was many things, but being a great father wasn't one of them. He was the man who paid the bills and gave to charities. He was the surgeon who traveled the globe doing good for all and did nothing good for Tilly or Vivian. He was the man who sent their mother to the asylum and turned his back on his children because fame and philanthropy meant more to him than his family and their future.

  If he was in Heaven, Tilly was even more relieved she’d chosen to serve Hell. Tilly never wanted to lay eyes on that man ever again.

  "Katie, no!" Bishop's arm thrust out like he was trying to catch her before she ran away. With a bark, he jolted up, lost balance, and fell out of the bed.

  Valor beat Tilly to him. “Up ye go, Hound.” Valor hauled Bishop to his feet.

  "She was there again," Bishop whispered, clinging to Valor’s arm. "She won't stay away. She won't go back. The cup was full. It’s always full."

  "She wasn't there, Hound. It was naught but a dream." Valor gave Bishop a baleful look. “She’s safe and happy. Hear me and ken it in your soul. It was just a dream.”

  Bishop shuddered and dropped his ass down on the edge of the bed. Tilly continued to watch him - the way his shoulders tensed, his tattoo of Find what you'd die for and live for it looked striking against his golden skin. So many tattoos decorated that Hound's body, she'd yet to fully appreciate them all.

  With another shaky exhale, Bishop swiped his hand down his face and looked around the room. It was like he wasn't sure which bedroom he was in. Then he slowly turned around and looked at Tilly. The sadness in his eyes lasted a heartbeat longer before it melted away to something warmer, "Good morning, Sweetness."

  "Eat more," Drake said, handing Tilly another cracker.

  Without a word, she took the damned thing and munched on it. Was no one going to ask Bishop if he was okay? Well, if not, then she would. "You okay, Hound Dog?"

  "I’m fine," his smile broadened. Crawling across Baz like he was nothing more than a big body pillow, Bishop planted a kiss on Tilly’s lips. "Doing damn good seeing you first thing when I wake up. Fuck, woman. Never thought mornings could be so beautiful."

  Soooo they weren't going to talk about his nightmares? Tilly licked her lips and snatched the next cracker from Drake and shoved the thing into her mouth.

  "How do you feel?" Bishop asked, like he hadn't just cried out for his dead daughter, fallen off the fucking bed, or nearly crumbled when Valor tried to comfort him.

  “Fine,” Tilly’s eyes stayed pinned on Bishop.

  “You’re not sore or anything?”

  She shook her head. “No, should I be?”

  Drake silently fed her another cracker then handed her a cold can of ginger ale. “Drink.”

  Obeying, she took a sip and her skin lit up with goosebumps. Fuck, that tasted so good. She was never much for soda, but this stuff hit the spot. She kept her eyes on Bishop while taking a few more sips, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

  "Like what?"

  "Like I'm..." she bit back her vain words and shook her head. Handing the soda can back to Drake, she tried to get out of the bed.

  "Let me help ye, mo leannan."

  Okay, why were they all of a sudden being so attentive? She wasn't a baby faun anymore, she was fine.

  The room swam and she fell back on her ass. Okay, so maybe she wasn't fine. Whatever. "The fuck is wrong with me?"

  "You just need something in your gut," Drake answered. Next, he directed his growl at Valor, "You all fucking dehydrated her last night and I'm betting her sugar levels are too low as well." He pushed the soda can into Valor's hand and snarled, "Do better, alpha." Then he stalked out the door.

  The instant Drake left, Tilly wanted to cry. Her instincts were to run after him and she didn't understand why. Every bit of her felt confused and upset now. What the fuck was going on with her?

  "Come, lass. Let's get ye freshened up."

  Valor was just about to carry her to the bathroom when she halted him, "I go on my own."

  She didn't want to be weak. Not with them. Her instincts said to be tough and let them see what she was made of. If she could walk, she was going to, even if it took her ten days to reach the motherfucking bathroom.

  No part of her hurt and yet everything screamed. Her skin felt like she was standing too close to the sun. Her eyes stung with the brightness of the room. She could hear Drake's feet hit every step as he got further away from her, and she could smell all the scents of her pack.

  Damn the sensory overload was both exhausting and exhilarating.

  Tilly made it to the bathroom all by herself. She stood at the sink and ran the cold water. Cupping her hands, she filled them and splashed the water onto her face. Then she took a good look in the mirror. Not at herself, but at Valor.

  "What?" Did she sound defensive? Fuck yeah she did. Tilly didn't like it when people stared at her with pity. There was nothing about her to feel sorry about.

  Valor ran a hand down her back and stepped closer to her backside, "I didna ken it was possible for ye to look more stunning than ye did the night I first saw ye. But..." he placed a soft kiss to the side of her neck. The brush of his beard made her nipples hard. "Ye look radiant, mo leannan."

  Mo leannan. She still didn't know what that meant. Didn't care to ask right now, either. "So why are you staring at me like I'm crazy or something?"

  "I'm not."

  "You are!" She shrank away from him. "I know that look, Valor." Tilly continued to glare at his reflection, "That's the poor little thing look."

  He swallowed and his lips tightened. "Being a Hell Hound takes a lot out of ye in the beginning. We're only concerned for ye."

  "Nope," she skittered away from him and started the shower up. Keeping her hand under the spray, she waited until it was hot enough and then said, "I see pity in your eyes and I don't f
ucking want it. I made my choice and I'm not sorry for it."

  There. Put that in your whisky glass and sip on it, Alpha.

  She stepped into the shower and slammed the glass door shut. While the water doused her, she continued to watch Valor's silhouette move around on the other side.

  "You're going through The Haunting," Valor said.

  "What's that? Like the movie?" She loved The Haunting. Those creepy little wood carved cherubs all looking down at that woman while she slept. Freaky shit right there. Ghost kids were the scariest things ever. Especially their giggles. Tilly's gut clenched... ghost kids... Katie... Oh God, poor Bishop.

  "The Haunting is when significant parts of your life come back to ye, lass."

  "Like how?"

  "It happens differently for each of us, but usually in your sleep."

  "I slept great last night," she dumped some shampoo on her hand and started to lather her hair. "In fact, I've never slept better."

  "Ye were up and about until an hour ago, mo leannan."

  Okay, that was just... no. That couldn't be right. She remembered damn well that she fell asleep with Baz just after she, Bishop, and Baz fucked in the bathroom…. while Valor watched them.

  Oh shit. She’d forgotten all about that until now. Her belly dropped and tightened at the same time. Part of her thought it was a dream - a wild fantasy. That threesome was the wildest thing she'd done so far and part of her wasn't so sure it had been real.

  None of this was feeling real.

  Tilly kept quiet and let the water sluice over her head and she rinsed her hair out. Again, there was this terrible pang of some emotion that was too jumbled to figure out. She bit her lip and breathed through it before asking, "So what did I do last night while I slept?"

  Valor didn't respond immediately, but once he did, she wished like hell she could climb out the bathroom and disappear. "Ye were beaten once."

  Nope. Not even close to just once. Tilly had a feeling if she said that out loud though, Valor would not deal well with it. Even now, with the glass door dividing them, she could feel his aggression like a battering ram to her temples. She finished rinsing off and didn't bother to shave her legs. Fuck it.

  Stepping out of the shower, Tilly grabbed the towel he held out for her and patted dry. "No need to dig up what was buried long ago, Alpha." She patted him on the cheek and tried to walk away.

  She didn't get far though. Bishop stood in the doorway with a scowl that matched Valor’s. "We need to know if what we saw was recent or not." His eyes were sharp and hard as the blades he carried around all the time.

  Tilly played it cool. "I wouldn't know. I didn't see what I did last night." She pushed away and went back into her room. Baz was still passed out in the bed. Her brow furrowed as she watched him lay there, still as a corpse. His body was mostly covered by sheets, but his thick arms were out and curled under his head while his face stayed buried into the pillow. His black hair was striking against the white sheets. Damn he was such a wet dream.

  Her heart fluttered like a bat in a shoebox. Shaking the weird sensation off, Tilly turned to grab some clothes out of her closet. She hated every stitch of clothing she saw. Slinging the hangers from side to side, she growled in frustration. Jesus, what the fuck was her problem? With a bigger growl, she slammed the closet door shut, not bothering to see if she'd woken Baz up. Then she stormed out of her room and went straight into Valor's.

  Marching over to his closet, she ripped the door open and snatched a black t-shirt - he had a million in there - and swiftly tugged it on. She didn't even bother with a bra. The stupid thing would have likely felt too tight on her over-sensitive boobs anyway.

  Valor's smirk suggested he didn't mind that she’d helped herself to his clothing, even though she had plenty of her own. "It smells like you," she snipped before slapping her hand over her mouth.

  Now Valor's smile went a mile wide. Oh good lord, his blue eyes looked like sapphires and his toothy grin turned him into a wolf with a pretty little lamb under his paw. She needed to get dressed before she wound up naked again. "Move it, Foxy Boy."

  His smile fell immediately. Ha! Tilly slid past him and went to her next destination: Bishop's bedroom.

  Opening drawers until she found what she wanted, Tilly snatched a pair of his gym shorts and put them on, and no, she wasn't wearing underwear. The damned shorts were a little too big and hung low on her hips. At least they were super comfortable.

  Bishop stood right next to Valor and his smile was even bigger than Valor's had been when she yanked on string to tighten the shorts a little more.

  Tilly stood there, aggression and confusion warring for space in her head. Her hands balled into fists and she huffed, "I don't know why I'm doing this." But I'm not going to take it off.

  Bishop chuckled, "Don't sound so angry, Sweetness. It's natural."

  "What is?"

  "You're trying to mark yourself with our scent."

  Bishop's hungry stare made him look ten times sexier than normal, which did nothing good for the shorts she was wearing. Tilly grew wet instantly and clenched her thighs together. "God, what the fuck is all this?" Her nipples hardened and damned if it didn't feel like every inch of her body wasn't on fire again. "Am I in heat or something?"

  "Yes," they both said at the same time.

  "She's too fucking cute, Alpha." Bishop stalked around her, sizing her up. "What the hell did we ever do to deserve her?"

  Valor's smile faded but he kept his gaze locked on her. "Give her space, Hound. She needs water and time to recover before ye take her on another ride."

  Bishop pressed his body against her back and bit the space between her neck and shoulder. Tilly's legs buckled and she grew wetter. The dirty dog grabbed her hips and ground his cock into her ass. "She smells like us."

  "Which was the point of her putting our clothes on," Valor gave him a sharp look and Bishop backed away. Tilly tried to not pout over it. "Come, lass. We need to talk."

  She didn't want to talk. She wanted to fuck.

  "The Haunting will get stronger before it dissipates," Valor headed out of the room, no doubt expecting her to follow him.

  For one hot second, Tilly stared at Bishop. Her intention was to give him her best fuck me face but hearing Valor say "The Haunting" triggered another emotion that doused cold water right over her fiery lust.

  She stared at Bishop and thought about his daughter and how he cried out for her, only to act like it never happened seconds later. Bishop was hiding his pain from her. They all were hiding something, weren't they? Tilly included. If she was going to be in this pack as badly as her sold-off soul wanted to be, then she was going to have to woman up. Lead by example right?

  She didn't owe them the stories of her past. But she sure as fuck could warn them a little bit.

  Chapter 13

  When Valor entered the kitchen, he didn’t say anything to Drake but noticed the Hound’s knuckles were busted and bloody. He must have gone outside and punched a few things. Drake’s aggression was going through the roof lately and none of them knew why. The Hound cooled down around their woman, but Valor knew better than to think Tilly had some supernatural power over Drake.

  Kindred spirits. Aye, perhaps they were, but it still wouldn’t explain the effect she had on Drake. Or Sebastian…. Or even Bishop and Valor. Each one of them had shifted their motives and thoughts ever since Tilly came into their lives.

  Valor broke his rules.

  Bishop shut a window.

  Drake showed emotion.

  Baz spoke out.

  Valor took the position of Alpha in this pack because he was the one with his shit together and could lead where others went astray. No one ever challenged him for the role and he never offered to share the power.

  Valor liked control. Too much was out of his hands in his first life, he was damned sure not going to let history repeat itself. Giving loyalty was twice as hard as gaining it. Lucifer built Valor’s pack and gave them no say in the m
atter. In the beginning, it hadn’t been easy for the four Hell Hounds to adjust. Valor took on a brutal and busted pack then because it was his duty, he kept the pack now because it was an honor.

  He wouldn’t trade his pack for the motherfucking world. Each of these Hound’s was built to be in Valor’s pack.

  Drake, the broody, silent watch dog, kept his distance and obeyed reluctantly. He could easily be an alpha but never fought for the spot. It wasn’t that the Hound lacked courage, because Drake had that in spades. But it took more than fearlessness to lead a pack, it took pride and emotions too strong for Drake to accept and live by. In other words, he was too cold.

  Sebastian was the Seek and Destroy Hell Hound who needed a mission to keep his mind occupied at all times. He never questioned a single command – just got the job done and made sure it was thorough. Where his twin battled with cold stealth, Baz fought with fiery passion.

  Bishop was the attack dog. Loyal to the bone, that one, which made some of his actions incredibly terrifying. Like Sebastian, Bishop fought with enough fury to give Lucifer himself a raging hard-on. The Hell Hound was unstoppable on the field… and in the bedroom. He was a train that went full-steam everywhere he went. Gods help the one caught in Bishop’s teeth. The Hound would lock down and never release. That included his pack. Bishop had more love and loyalty than one man should ever be capable of. Such strengths could easily turn into a weakness, like guilt. If Bishop failed at anything, it crushed him. And if he thought he failed someone he loved? Holy fucking hell, Bishop would never forgive himself.

  Valor closed his eyes, remembering how lost and out of control with unfathomable fear Bishop was in when they dug through the Paris catacombs to find the twins. Loyalty. Bishop owned it in spades. Only a Hell Hound like him would face his worst fear for the love of his pack. Bishop’s mind was still paying the price for his actions. Poor Katie. Valor couldn’t help but feel sorry for Bishop’s losses.

  Guilt began to gnaw on Valor’s gut.

  Bishop was also an empathetic creature. A bleeding heart in a set of biker boots. He felt guilt for every god damned thing, whether it was his fault or not - like the night he was possessed by malanum.