“Yes. You’re highly respected by your pack. They admire your strength and they make it clear. A guaranteed way of Eliza being noticed would be if she established herself as more dominant than you.” Waiting as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair, Marcus poured some shower gel into his hand. “Are you going to request that she’s banned from your territory?” When Roni frowned, as if the idea had never occurred to her, he smiled. “She’s just not important enough for you to care, is she?” He’d quickly learned that Roni wasn’t easily affected by things, one way or the other. If Eliza hadn’t tested her like that, placing Roni in a position where she had to battle with her, he doubted Roni would have bothered at all.
“No.” She had to grit her teeth as Marcus gently rubbed shower gel over her body, skimming over her injuries, while Roni applied conditioner to her hair. The soap stung like a motherfucker.
“Sorry, gorgeous, but this has to be done.” When she stepped directly under the spray a few moments later, allowing the conditioner and soap to slip away, he inspected every inch of her. The wounds were already beginning to heal. “It doesn’t look like any of the marks are deep enough to scar.” He doubted he could say the same for Eliza.
Turning off the spray, Roni stepped out of the cubicle and allowed Marcus to wrap a huge towel around her. “Off the subject, did anybody scan through the videos on the website?”
“Yes,” he replied, gently patting her dry. “Don’t worry, no one watched yours. Although, there is something you should know. In the comments section underneath the clip, whoever uploaded it said you deserved worse than what you got.”
Surprised, she blinked. “So this was personal, to some degree?”
“I’d say so.” He’d be more than happy to get very personal with the son of a bitch when he found him. “Any hunch on who it could have been?”
“No, but I’ve pissed off plenty of people in my time.”
“I’d have wondered if it was the other humans involved in the attack, but the website is exclusive to shifters.”
“It couldn’t have been them.”
The absolute certainty with which she spoke, combined with the odd tone she used, made him frown. “You sound very positive.”
She was, but she didn’t care to explain why. “It’s like you said, the website’s exclusive to shifters.” His narrow-eyed gaze said he wasn’t buying that, but he thankfully didn’t push. Instead, he guided her into the bedroom, picked up her brush, sat her between his legs on the bed, and began to tackle the tangles in her hair. “Why did you stay? In the clearing, I mean.”
“I wanted you to know that you weren’t alone; that if you did want me, I was right there. And I wanted to be sure you were all right. I know your pack is good at driving you crazy.”
“I’m surprised Nick let you anywhere near me.”
“No one was going to keep me away from you.”
The possessiveness in that statement made her wolf growl in contentment.
“Next time you’re pissed or have something on your mind, I want you to call me. You don’t have to tell me what the problem is. We don’t even have to talk about it; I just want you to call me instead of bolting. If you need to get away from here, I’ll come get you.”
Just then someone started pounding on her front door, and she groaned. No doubt it was Nick, checking on her. Her suspicion was confirmed when seconds later the door opened and he was stalking through the lodge. The wolf behind her didn’t tense or even pause in what he was doing, apparently totally unaffected by the agitation radiating from Nick.
“Are you all right?”
“Fine. None of the wounds are deep, so they’re healing pretty fast.”
“Even though it wasn’t an official challenge, you have every right to ask her to be banned from our territory. But I’m guessing you don’t really care.”
“Not even a little bit,” she confirmed. “In fact, let her stick around. She knows a lot about what the extremists are up to. If they’re planning anything as a result of the other extremist groups ‘mysteriously disappearing’ on Phoenix Pack territory, we’ll find out through her.”
“That’s what Derren said.” Nick sighed. “Roni, why did you bolt like that? You could have just talked to me. Or spoke to Shaya. Or punched Eli.”
“Is that a serious question? Look, let’s not talk about it. We tried that already. It never helped.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I didn’t tell Mom.”
“I’d say I appreciate it, but I’m guessing you only refrained from doing it because Shaya told you not to.” When the wolf behind her let out a knowing chuckle, she knew she was right.
Nick’s gaze shifted to Marcus, though he spoke to Roni. “So your wolf was fine with his presence.”
Marcus shrugged. “I told you she would be.” Done brushing her hair, he placed the brush beside him, and loosely circled her with his arms. “I have to get home and change. Come with me.”
“Don’t forget the game, Roni,” said Nick.
“Game?” repeated Marcus.
“The Arizona Grizzlies are playing against the San Francisco Cougars today.” Both were all-shifter football teams. “The pack watches the game together.”
Marcus could respect that—traditions were important to packs, and as a newly formed one, it was beneficial for the Mercury wolves to start their own. “Fair enough.” That got him suspicious looks from both siblings, who had obliviously expected him to bristle at Nick’s interference. Setting Roni on her feet, he stood and kissed the corner of her mouth, not wanting to aggravate the scratch on her bottom lip. “Get some rest, and we’ll talk later, okay.”
It wasn’t a question, but Roni still nodded. Unable to shake off her suspiciousness—Marcus hadn’t made a single protest to Nick’s smugly delivered announcement, which wasn’t like him—she watched with a frown as he skirted around her and smiled at a scowling Nick.
When the front door closed behind him, Nick folded his arms. “Derren told me you marked Fuller.”
“Derren’s got a big mouth.”
“Are you sure he’s what you want, Roni? ’Cause I gotta tell ya, a wolf like that isn’t going to let you walk all over him. He isn’t going to let you shake him off if you get bored or restless. He won’t put up with you bolting whenever you feel like it. And he’s going to be incredibly possessive.”
She cocked her head. “So when I told you to stop interfering in my life, what part of that statement did you find confusing? Should I use smaller words? Simpler vocabulary? Or maybe you need me to emphasize it with a blow to the jaw? That would be fun.”
He sighed. “I’m just making the point that he won’t be someone you can manage. You need to be prepared for that, because I’ve come to realize that that guy will push and push until he gets what he wants.”
She was quite aware of that, which was why she found it so odd that he’d left without even a scowl at Nick. Of course, her confusion completely disappeared when a knock to the door of Nick’s game room later that day preceded the entrance of Marcus, Trey, Dante, Tao, and the other enforcers. They all piled into the room wearing wide smiles and carrying beers and snacks.
Nick gawked. “What are you all doing here?”
“You invited us,” replied Marcus.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. Just before I left, you said, ‘Marcus, why don’t you and the guys come by later to watch the game with us.’”
“I said no such thing.”
“No? Really? That’s what I heard. But then, I have been told I have selective hearing. Mmm, pizza.” Ignoring Nick’s grumbles, Marcus grabbed a slice from the box on the table and made a beeline for Roni, who was lounging in one of the La-Z-Boys, eating a chicken wing.
Shaking her head, she said, “I should have known you’d do this.”
He smiled, leaning down to kiss her soundly. “I did say we’d talk later.” Scooping her out of the chair, Marcus sank into it and perched her comfortably on his lap.
Oblivious to—or uncaring of—Nick’s displeasure, the other Phoenix wolves made themselves comfortable, opening beers and joking with the Mercury wolves . . . as if they hadn’t just gate-crashed their gathering. Wearing a petulant scowl, Nick returned to his La-Z-Boy. Since Dominic was on it, he shoved him off—but the enforcer just laughed, which only seemed to aggravate Nick more.
“What happened with Eliza?” Marcus asked Roni.
“She actually apologized. Of course, it was totally forced, but I pretended to buy it.”
“Was she badly wounded?” The self-satisfaction glinting in Roni’s eyes told him the answer. “Will she have any scars?”
“One or two.”
“How did Shaya take it?” He knew the Alpha female adored Roni. As such, although this was the ways of shifters, Shaya wouldn’t appreciate Roni being targeted whether it was expected or not.
“She performed her knife trick to make a point that no one tested her wolves.” Just as shifters taught their children how to hunt and defend themselves with teeth and claws, Shaya’s human father had taught her to defend herself. As a recently retired Navy SEAL, Stone had taught her some interesting things. Roni had walked into the kitchen many times to find Nick plastered against the wall with knives framing his body while an irate Shaya yelled at him.
“I’m staying with you tonight.”
She might have bristled at what should have been a request, but the desperation in his voice made her smile inwardly. “Oh, you are?”
“Oh, I am.” He licked over his mark. “I’m going to do to you what I would have done earlier if you hadn’t been hurt.”
“I’ll leave you to wonder what I’ll do to you.”
He smiled, liking it when she played with him.
“Now hush, the game’s starting.”
The gathering was a rowdy affair, and Marcus quickly learned that Roni was one of those people who liked to shout things at the TV as if the players could actually hear her advice. There was a lot of, “Get under center!” and “Focus! Wrap it up!” and “Take it home, take it home!” and “Hit somebody! Just hit somebody!” Then there were the times she cursed the referee and, honestly, if the guy had been within reach, Marcus would have feared for the ref’s life.
When the game ended, he kissed her hair. “I’m sure the Grizzlies are genuinely appreciative of your never-ending guidance.” She jammed her elbow into his ribs. “Ow! That was so uncalled for.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Walking into Shaya and Nick’s lodge a few days later, Marcus almost laughed as he heard Kathy shout, “Roni! If you don’t stop hitting your brother, I’ll—” There was a loud smacking sound followed by a deep male grunt. “Don’t make me come over there!”
Reaching the kitchen area, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Roni looking quite comfortable holding Eli in a headlock. Everyone at the table, other than Janice, was watching with amusement. Kathy stood at the stove doing that hands-on-hips thing.
“Oh, yeah, take his side,” griped Roni. “Why break a habit of a lifetime?”
“Roni, he’s turning blue,” Shaya pointed out, trembling with laughter. With an extremely put-upon sigh, Roni released Eli with a shove. Choking and laughing at the same time, the guy flipped her the finger.
“I saw that, Eli!” Kathy shook her head.
Janice fussed over a coughing Eli, guiding him to a seat. “Really, Roni, do you have to embarrass your mother all the time?”
Roni pouted. “But it makes me feel so warm inside.”
“Good morning, everyone,” drawled Marcus as he stepped forward. He smiled widely at Roni. “Hey, gorgeous.”
Roni met his gaze and instantly the air heated, thickened. As always, his entire focus ate her up, made her feel hunted. Yet, it also steadied her and gave her a strong sense of balance. Her wolf stretched out inside her, happy that he was close; she also wanted to climb all over him and lick him like an ice cream cone. Pathetic.
Marcus took her hand and pulled lightly. Her body fit perfectly against his. It also made him hard as a rock. Needing that mouth more than he needed to breathe, he stole a brief kiss. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
Before she could answer his question, her mother was there. “Marcus, it’s always a pleasure to see you. Sit, eat.” Kathy ushered him into the chair beside Bracken, laid a plate of food in front of him, and handed him a mug of coffee.
Retaking her seat at the other side of the table, Roni snorted. “You get better treatment than any of us do.” Kathy fussed over him as he ate, continually topping off his plate and beaming each time Marcus complimented her cooking.
Caleb leaned into Roni and spoke quietly. “Wow, he’s good. Your mom’s not easy to win over. Just explain one thing to me, though. If she likes him so much, why didn’t she look happy when Marcus kissed you? And why has she sat him so far away from you?”
Full, Roni sank into her chair. “She thinks females should save themselves for their mate.”
“Got ya. My aunt’s the same. She still thinks my uncle was a virgin when they met.”
“What makes you think he wasn’t?”
“Well, he once—” Caleb was suddenly plucked from his seat by the back of his T-shirt. Then Marcus sat beside her, wearing a very wolfish smile. She just shook her head.
“I hope you’ll look out for my Roni,” Kathy told Marcus, briefly running her hand over Roni’s hair. But it wasn’t an affectionate move—it was patronizing, like Roni was “delicate.”
“I will, although I’m pretty sure she can take care of any threat herself.” Marcus liked Kathy Axton, but he didn’t like the way she treated Roni. And he really didn’t like the way Roni’s face fell each time her mother said or did something that insinuated she was weak.
“Yes, but I need to know my baby girl’s safe.”
Roni almost growled. The term “baby girl” was said with dismissiveness, as if she were a vulnerable, helpless little girl.
“There are a whole lot of dangers out there. Roni doesn’t take them seriously.”
Roni released a tired, frustrated sigh. “If you’re talking about the stranger who tried to drag me into his car when I was eight, let it go already. I got away, didn’t I?”
“Not before stealing the candy he was trying to lure you with!”
“He had my favorite lollipops!”
“For someone so intelligent, you can be very careless with your safety at times.” Kathy shook her head. “Is it any wonder that I worry about you? When you have children of your own, you’ll understand.”
“But that’s just it, Mom, I’m not a child.”
“Says the person who had her brother in a headlock not so long ago,” muttered Janice.
Roni snarled at her. “Oh, yeah, bring up old crap.”
Kathy clucked. “It’s this immaturity that worries me. Going on a hunt is dangerous. I hate to think of you in such a situation. I tried talking some sense into her, Marcus. I tried convincing her to let Eli go in her place, but she wouldn’t listen. She never does. I need to know she has someone watching out for her, making sure she doesn’t put herself in harm’s way.”
Enough was enough. Roni slammed her mug on the table. “I think you’ve delighted us long enough with this whole ‘trying to insinuate to Marcus that I’m weak and not worth the effort’ thing, don’t you?”
Kathy rolled her eyes. “Pay no attention, Marcus. Tantrums are a regular thing with my Roni. She can be very petulant at times.”
Okay, that got Marcus’s back up. Roni was anything but petulant. Painfully awkward at times, yes. Totally without social skills, yes. Vengeful and vicious, yes. But not childish. And if Roni was right and this was Kathy’s way of trying to put him off Roni, he needed to make it clear that it wouldn’t work.
Marcus pursed his lips. “Petulant?” He shook his head. “I can’
t say that’s a word I’d associate with Roni. She’s an extremely capable person. Excellent in a crisis. Takes her responsibilities very seriously. And she stays calm when faced with a dangerous situation. If it wasn’t for her, Kye would have been kidnapped.”
Those words got him looks of approval from Eli, Shaya, and Derren. Nick was staring at him with a weird expression on his face, but at least he wasn’t scowling.
“I’m ready to leave.” Roni wished Marcus would stop defending her. Each time he did it, she liked him that little bit more. That wasn’t good. He wouldn’t be around for the long haul—he wasn’t for her, he belonged to someone else, and no amount of jealous growling from her wolf would make a difference.
It was as they both went to stand that Nick suddenly spoke. “Hold up. There’s no need to leave so soon, is there?” It wasn’t really a question. Nor was it a friendly invitation to stay. In fact, there was a sly tint to her brother’s tone that made her wolf’s hackles rise. “Stick around for a while.”
She tensed. “Nick, what are you doing?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Well, it seems to me like you two are dating. Am I right, Marcus?”
Marcus narrowed his eyes at the Alpha. It was obvious that Nick had emphasized the word “dating” to communicate that he didn’t want his sister being just someone’s bed buddy. Nick was trying to force him to publically state his intentions toward his sister right there and then, to either up his game or walk out the door. He clearly thought Marcus would do the latter. It would be the sensible option. To stay when such a dare had been thrown at him would be to take a step toward a relationship that was anything but casual.
Instead of recoiling at the idea, Marcus found himself considering it. In the past, he’d kept things short and simple because females had wanted feelings from him he wasn’t sure he was capable of, feelings he wasn’t sure he’d even recognize if he did feel them. Roni didn’t lay demands on him, didn’t expect anything of him, and didn’t make him feel trapped. She made him feel . . . comfortable. Relaxed. Accepted. He didn’t want to give that up, and he knew perfectly well that nothing about what he had with Roni was simple anyway.
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