About twenty pack members line the long dining table, a mix of females and males interspersed. Light instrumental music plays in the background, still low enough for everyone to carry on with their conversations. Two chairs sit to the right of the alpha and two on the left. Before I can narrow my eyes on him for attempting some sort of trick, he gestures to the seats on the left, rising from his chair to greet us.Ryan follows behind me while the three other betas spread out, one moving to take guard behind us and the others taking their place in two opposite corners. Their keen eyes survey the room, keeping an eye out for any sign of attack.“So glad you could make it,” Marcus says gruffly. I bite back the retort that springs to my lips, the one wanting to dig into him about not having much of a choice.I drink in every inch of him, my wolf reveling in his scent of crisp pine and leather. I almost jump back in surprise when he steps forward, and Monte stiffens, coming up to my side.
“Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.”“I guess we need to give the people what they want,” he whispers sheepishly, his fingers gently pushing back my tawny waves behind my ear. I lean into the intimate touch, so teasingly soft, my mind still catching up to what’s going on around us. Thoughts of Marcus still linger in my mind as Ryan draws close and my stomach twists with guilt.I tilt my head up to him, my lips parting as his lower onto mine. The kiss is tender and sweet, stoking a building flame of desire within me. The pack members around the room erupt in a round of whoops and cheers, and I pull away from Ryan. I can’t help the smile that stretches across my face, the soft kiss bringing back memories of us as teenagers, before our lives changed irreparably. But that’s all it is, nice. It fills me with a sense of nostalgia, unlike the powerful hold that Ryan’s presence has on me, wrapping me in the fiery ice of his allure. I fight to focus on Ryan, to push thoughts of the savage alpha from my mind, b
“Scarlet,” Ryan murmurs my name. The music switches to a sultry beat, the lights dimming as the voices lower to whispers. “It’s customary for couples at our celebrations to... enjoy each other ... publicly.” His eyes are wary, unsure, yet I can spot the spark of desire in their depths.I can’t help the slight widening of my eyes as I search my memory. How had I forgotten all the pack dinners I’d been sent away to my friends’ houses for, told they were only for adults? This was why. As shifters we are all very open with our sexuality, and this is a common way to introduce new members to a pack, to welcome them and make them feel comfortable. Except after living with the humans for so long it doesn’t necessarily have the same effect on me.“It would be considered disrespectful to leave now but we can, just say the word and we’re gone,” Ryan says, the moans surrounding us becoming more apparent. He leans into me, his breath brushing against my ear, sending tendrils of desire to my core.
I bite the corner of my lip as he draws closer ... A loud crack splits through the room, breaking the haze of lust that had swept over the dining room. My head whips to the source of the sound, the entry door splayed open where a masculine hand catches it before it crashes back from the reverberating force. His dominating force echoes throughout the room, freezing the couples around us. He stalks for Marcus, and I almost leap from my seat to jump between the two, except no one else seems on guard with the male’s appearance. His frame is smaller than Marcus’s, but he’s still at least six feet tall. I focus on the movement of his hand swiping his black hair out of his eyes. No sound echoes through the room as he strides to Marcus, his footsteps silent but strong. That is until he nears closer, his confident steps slowing before pulling him to a stop. The stranger’s nostrils flare and he takes a few hesitant steps closer until he stands before me. My brows furrow and I push up from Ryan
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Marcus chuckles, the icy fire of his desire blazing in his eyes as they rove over my form. “There seem to be a few items we still need to agree upon.” “Oh, there are? Because from what I can remember, we were on the same page.” I sneer, crossing my arms over my chest just under my breasts, and I don’t miss the way both their gazes latch on to the movement. My skin burns at the heat that blazes there, and I have to look away, otherwise I’ll be drawn into their pull. “It seems you have your own story to tell,” Nick murmurs . “Later,” Marcus promises. Dread and anticipation pool in my gut at the conspiratorial look they share. I had already felt myself folding with Marcus, and now I’ve found another mate and they’re friends … “Then it’s decided, I’ll look at our pack to find the leak, and Nick will work with Scarlet on the slith sloth.” Marcusnods as though it’s already been decided. “What?” Ryan and I ask at the same time, our voices echoing the same incred
“Ryan has other tasks to complete, or have you forgotten your late Alpha was murdered? Your lack of empathy is telling Fred.” I cock a brow in question, the accusation clear in my tone. Honestly, Fred is at the top of my suspect list right now. If he is so willing to continually disrespect me, who knows how he felt towards my father? “Of course. I meant no offense, Alpha,” Fred corrects, inclining his head in a mocking show of respect. I doubt the man has a sincere bone in his body. “Let’s keep it that way.” I stand from my seat and motion towards the door. “You’re dismissed. And remember, I’ll be watching.” “Yes, Alpha,” all three of them say in sync before making their way out the door. “Shane,” I call out just as he’s about to slip out the door. I give him a polite smile, waiting for Sava and fred to clear the hall. “I need you to put together a team of wolves you trust to accompany me to the meeting tonight.” “Of course, Alpha.” He gives me a small smile, polite yet sympatheti
I strap two daggers over my fitted leather pant. The material is soft, allowing me to move freely. With weapons in place, I shrug on my leather jacket, the length covering up the bulge of the gun at my side. The setting sun is visible in the mirror, casting an orange hue over the room in the few remaining moments of golden hour. The last moments of daylight dwindle away, reminding me of what we’re about to face. My eyes focus into a look of determination as I mentally prepare myself for the night ahead and smooth back a few flyaway hairs. Despite the preparations we’ve made during the hours following the meeting, I still can’t shake the creeping sensation of dread curling in my stomach. Nick texted me the details for tonight after hearing from the slith sloth leader. We’ll both be bringing a team of thirty wolves inside the compound and to guard the meeting venue. Shane and I went over the members of the team he had assembled, ensuring he trusted each one of them. None of them were gi
So we should position our packs amongst these rows,” I say, trailing my finger along the lines of containers. “Then we’ll send out groups of three to venture out past the meeting point and report back if there’s any sign of an ambush.” She nods thoughtfully, scanning the drawing, her expression thoughtful rather than outraged. I breathe a silent sigh of relief, glad to have dodged that bullet. Hopefully, if anyone further than the two betas had heard her, they would dismiss the outburst since she’d been so far removed from our society. “That seems like a good plan. For now we’ll all switch over to the same channel and communicate if anything changes when we get there,” she says decisively, folding the map to apparently take with her. This woman never ceases to surprise me. “Right, let’s get our teams together so you can head out,” Marcus says, glancing at his watch. He presses a button at the side, informing the leaders to bring the teams out with them. We both briefed our betas aft
Tires squeal in the distance and my eyes pop open, the noise jolting me from the easy peace that had settled over me. I ready myself for another attack, my hand reaching for the gun still holstered on my leg. I pull it from the strap, but before I can bring it up, Nick’s voice breaks through. “That’s our pack, they’re going to load up the injured and bring them back to be treated.”Some of the tension eases from my chest and I give him a grateful smile, my look encompassing Marcus and Nate too, knowing that they had as much to do with that. I don’t even let myself think about how much they helped my pack tonight, unsure what would have happened if I didn’t have the two alphas here on the ground.“Go with them please, Sava.” I scan those crowded around us, knowing that he will be near.“Of course,” Sava nods solemnly from the side of an injured woman close to us. He clasps a shirt to her side, the white fabric turning red from the blood seeping through it.“I’ll help gather the injured
As you know, this engagement came about fast, and there is a reason for that,” I pause, before launching into the story, first telling them about the agreement with the Weavers pack that had been set up by my father, then how Monte stepped up and gave me an option which I took. “Then when we met the Weavers pack, I found that they’re my mates, their three leaders including Marcus Weavers are my mates.”Gasps echo around me, some faces pulling down into looks of disapproval, and other’s foreheads creasing in confusion. Doing my best to remain unperturbed, I don’t allow my gaze to linger on them for too long, knowing I may lose my nerve if I do.“We agreed to keep the information to ourselves, but as I began working with them to keep both our packs safe, I’ve come to appreciate them and their pack. Which is why it would be unfair to continue on pretending that the platonic relationship between me and beta Ryan is anything more,” I declare. Glancing back at him, I don’t let his crestfall
I glide across the floor, shivers running up my spine as arousal mixes with the warm buzz of alcohol in my veins, heightening my desire so much that I can barely think about anything other than Nick and his cock pounding into me. I weave my way through the group of patrons, most hurriedly moving out of my way as they spot me, leaving the path to my mate clear.His lips part as I approach him, but I don’t wait to hear what he has to say. I know what I want, and he can’t give that to me in a room full of strangers. His brows furrow in confusion as I pass him, but I don’t leave him to stew for very long. Making my way to the hallway, I turn my head to look back at him over my shoulder, crooking my finger in what I hope is a sexy gesture, beckoning him to follow me.Not bothering to wait, I continue on to the office at the end of the hall, leaving the door cracked open behind me. I shrug off my leather jacket, followed by the tight sweater dress, and my shoulder harness and gun. A chill r
Would that really be so bad though?” she asks, her voice soft and caring.I dart my gaze over to her as we approach the wrought iron gates of the Drave manor. “No,” I whisper, the word slipping from my lips before I give myself the chance to overthink it. No it wouldn’t be so bad honestly, and the more I allow myself to imagine it, the more I want it to be real. I want to be able to claim my mates to the world as excitedly as Nick had said he would. I want to know what a future would be like with them at my side, as more than mates but as equal partners in our packs, or perhaps singular pack at some point.To my relief, Semine doesn’t comment as she pulls through the gates and up to the manor. The thick stone facade and climbing ivy make this place seem like more of a prison than a home, my responsibilities and the thoughts of my pack holding me back from what I truly want, and the people that are starting to feel more like home than this place had ever been.My moment of clarity is s
That is how i met with Nate,I comb my fingers back through his black hair, comforting him while I wait for him to continue. That was a lot, both to dredge up and to go through as a child. I desperately need to know more, what happened in those foster homes, what happened to his mother? But I won’t push. He needs to work through this in his own time, and I’ll be here to listen and support him or knock some sense into him if need be, just as he has done for me.“That was until Nate and I ended up enrolled in the local school here in Enders. The family we were fostered with were racoon shifters but couldn’t sense us yet since we hadn’t shifted. But as soon as we met Marcus he knew, his alpha wolf senses were more in tune with ours, perhaps even more so because of our shared mate connection,” he says, giving me a weak smile, one which I feebly try to return.My mind races with thoughts of what it must have been like for them growing up, unable to imagine what I would have done in the same
Asshole,” I say between gritted teeth, but that only draws a laugh from those plump lips, his shoulder shaking beneath me.“You’re going to make me lose my concentration if you keep talking dirty like that,” he teases, placing his hand on a scanner to allow us into the building.I let loose a small shriek while gripping on to his sides to steady myself. My eyes lock in on his firm ass as he walks, the tight muscles flexing as he wastes no time maneuvering the halls. Well two can play this game I guess. I really didn’t have the opportunity to ogle it last night with my back bleeding out, but tonight…A growl slips from his lips as I reach down to slap his firm ass and his arms clamp down on my legs to avoid me falling off. He picks up his pace towards his room, and I giggle at the loud crack echoing out through the empty hallway.I help to close the door behind him and he spins to lock it, neither of us wanting to be interrupted. He wastes no time carrying me to the bed, pulling me bac
“Ugh, asshole,” I groan, placing my palm on my forehead again to express my annoyance. I swear with all these men and the way they like to test me, I’ll be fighting off headaches on the daily.“Nope, that’s mine and I refuse to give it up, you’ll have to choose a new one,” Nick teases, and his hand slides down to clasp my hand as he helps me up. “I should get you home.”My lips purse but I don’t bother arguing, knowing it will be pointless anyway. Besides, I already accomplished what I needed to. And since there isn’t even any paperwork to look over, the only reason to stay would be nostalgia.But I can’t let myself dwell on the past, not when my future is looking so promising. So I let Nick guide me from the VIP section, his hand still lightly holding mine. We keep the connection low to avoid detection, the move simply looking like he’s leading me through the crowded bar to any onlookers.“I’ll be right back,” I call to him, the volume of the music back at full force now as I release
You did too.” He laughs again, leaning over to pull his phone from his pocket. “See right here you said ‘If you don’t get back here this instant, I’ll shove your head up your ass.’” “Thank you for reminding me. It seems like I owe you a beat down since it took you a full hour to get back after I sent that.” “How quickly your story changes at the promise of violence.” His chest shakes with silent laughter, and I narrow my eyes on him but don’t bother arguing with him anymore, knowing exactly what he’ll say next. “For someone so concerned with me leaving to watch after our mate, you do seem to be wasting a lot of time.” And there it is. I swear these assholes like to get on my very last nerve, just to see how far they can push me. You’re lucky I consider you my brother, otherwise I’d be following through on my promise.” He chokes on his laugh, not expecting me to give up that easily it seems. Well he’s lucky I’m in a good mood right now. He’ll have another opportunity to see her, an
“Thank goodness,” she sighs, her shoulders slumping in relief. I giggle at the wave of ease that washes over me, knowing now that she won’t be as stiff with me as others are. I need this sense of normalcy right now. “I’m so sorry, Scarlet,” she adds, her face falling as she glances around the office, clearly remembering the sobering circumstances for my return.“Thanks, Semine, but that’s not why I came to speak with you today,” I admit, reaching across the table to clasp her hand in a comforting touch. Although I appreciate her condolences, I can’t focus on that right now, I can’t keep dwelling on the losses and emotional blows. I will never forget, and I will continue to search for his killer and bring the same fate raining down upon them, but I need to live too.“I came to ask you to be one of my betas.” My lips lift up in an excited smile. Despite the hard time we have ahead of us, having someone like Semine on my side puts my mind at ease. I know she’ll tell me like it is, and ev