by Celia Kyle
Rebecca squeaked, the dressed woman frowned, and the naked woman smirked.
Now would be a good time to pass out. Maybe when she woke up she would be back in the forest. On dirt. She fucking loved dirt.
Chapter Three
Aidan crossed his legs and leaned against the wall outside one of the hotel’s ballroom doors as he waited for the “festivities” to begin. Noise surrounded him, conference goers filing past, through the double doors. Their words formed a cacophony of noise that bounced off the marble flooring and walls. The hard surfaces amplified the sounds until the roar rang in his ears. The hotel was a picture of elegance that was wasted on a bunch of wolves who would be more at home in a forest than surrounded by opulence.
He didn’t know why the Ruling Alphas held a Gathering every year. The concept of finding his mate was tempting, but unrealistic. Sure, the aforementioned Ruling Pair found their mate last year, and the Ruling Wardens had as well. Then there was the third Wickham sister Gabriella with those two Alphas…
He shook his head. Nah, it was a fluke. Maybe ten percent of the males who attended the Gathering found their mates. Alpha Pairs from across the country were required to attend, and now Warden Pairs were lumped in after that mess with Whitney Wickham and the Ruling Wardens.
Then there were the single wolves. They couldn’t mate with humans, not like the Alphas and Wardens, but individual males and females couldn’t resist the chance to party. What better way to mingle and meet others than on the Ruling Alphas’ dime?
His phone vibrated in his pocket, drawing his attention, and he fished it out. He expected a text from his other—not necessarily better—Alpha half. There was no doubt Carson had been waylaid by yet another female looking for a good time. With Carson being the prettier of them, he constantly got hit on. Unfortunately, they had a place to be which meant Carson would have to take a pass on the female. He doubted that’d put her off though. When his partner shot down a female, she still walked away floating on air and half in love with the wolf.
Sighing, he swiped his thumb over the screen, smiling when the familiar background came into view. His family—him, his younger half-brother, and their dad—all shifted, while his brother attempted to swallow Aidan’s head whole. Literally. Aidan had been a runt until puberty and his brother never let him forget it.
Another vibration and he tapped the text message icon. He scrolled through them, finding the newest first from Scarlet, the Ruling Alpha Mate:
The world is in chaos. Woman down! Save yourselves! Kidding. There are more crazed women than anticipated. Gathering disclaimer now includes any infectious diseases known to man. The women are from all corners of the Earth including remote villages in South America where bathing is optional.
What the hell? Aidan admitted he hadn’t glanced at his phone when he woke, but what was she rambling about? The woman was a little unhinged, but…
He scrolled back to the previous one… No sniffing butts? Penises?
Aidan shook his head. Yeah, she’d lost it. A new message popped up, and this one came from Carson. Thank God, he about gave up on his partner.
Grab a beer. You won’t believe this shit.
Aidan glanced at his watch. At noon? Fuck it. He pushed away from the wall and eased into the mass of bodies. The rumble of voices echoed around him, filling his ears with the rambling words. His wolf whined at the overwhelming sounds, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Until they got into the grand ballroom, and the Ruling Alphas called for quiet, the wolves were like high school kids, talking as loud as they possibly could and not caring about anyone else.
His fucking animal hated loud noise, these crowds, and especially hated strangers touching him. Ever since…
It’d taken hours, but the docs and nurses had eventually gotten him stitched back together. He rubbed his chest, wiping away the rising ache and pushing back the memory.
He moved closer to the bar he’d seen on his way downstairs. Positioned near the lobby, it was the perfect spot to snare a drink on the go. He was almost to the place of salvation when a sweet scent slammed into him, and a blur of brown caught his eye. It shouldn’t have grabbed his attention. Plenty of wolves were brown, and quite a few of the attendees liked wandering around in their fur. The Ruling Alphas didn’t give a damn about a person’s shape as long as they followed orders.
So, yeah, brown and sweet and it raced along the wall and against the flow of traffic. His wolf whined and pawed him, urging him to follow that scent, but he rolled his eyes at the beast and kept moving toward his destination.
A low whimper reached his ears, one that was filled with fear. It rolled through the crowd, traveling on the vibrating air, and Aidan wondered why his animal singled out that one sound above the others. But it did. It found it and clutched it and snarled to turn his stubborn ass around and follow the aromas of crisp winter and ripe berries.
Groaning, Aidan turned and retraced his path. He pushed through the moving mass of bodies, ignoring the bestial grumbles that sounded in his wake. Each one started threatening as hell and then ended as abruptly as it’d begun.
Sometimes being bigger than everyone had its advantages.
Before long, conference attendees stepped out of the way, creating a widening path toward the wall. As soon as he got close enough, he drew the fresh scent into his lungs. It rose above the woodsy smell of the werewolves in attendance. It seemed to reach into him and sink into his bones.
Shit, he was getting all poetic.
He turned right, internally smiling when some of the weaker wolves practically ran in the opposite direction. Though, if he were telling the truth, even the weaker wolves were Alphas. Just not Alphas like him.
He dropped his attention to the ground, to the brown scrapings decorating the floor and the clumps of dirt that lay on the cream marble. Housekeeping was gonna be pissed. Those women were fierce, and even Aidan was a little afraid of them.
Following the person’s scent and trail, he strode down the hall. He pushed people aside when they weren’t paying close enough attention to get out of his way. The faster his quarry moved, the more insistent his beast became. It wanted to be with the source. Now. It wanted to be beside the person, wrap it in his arms, hold her close and…
Her.
Yes. Her.
The wolf knew what it wanted, and it craved the woman. The hint of tempting musk intermingling with the berries and sunshine should have immediately clued him in, but he had been distracted by the plethora of bodies surrounding him.
The female changed her path, turning left and down a side hallway, her steps grinding dirt into the plush patterned carpet. As he entered the new hall, he caught sight of a flash of brown and then she was gone with a quick right turn.
Aidan’s cell phone vibrated, and he spared it a glance. Carson must’ve still been waiting, and the man was texting him. Increasing his pace, he hit reply.
Hunting. South hall.
They were surrounded by conference rooms, places meant to accommodate meetings between Alpha Pairs and Marked females. When she ducked into a room on the right, he knew there was one way in and one way out.
He jerked to a halt outside the door and breathed deeply, savoring the seductive scent. He wanted it, wanted to bathe in it and coat his skin. The wolf ached to roll in the aroma and let it cover every strand of fur.
A sign to the left of the door caught his attention, and he added to his text.
Bad Doggie meeting room.
Aidan rolled his eyes. The Ruling Alpha Mate and her idea of jokes.
Carson was quick to reply. WTF?
Yeah, he understood his partner’s feelings. Get here.
With that final reply, he tucked his phone in his pocket and reached for the door. Aidan’s skin rippled, his wolf lurking beneath the surface and ready to pounce. It was like a cat, crouched and prepared to leap when the moment was right. It wanted the woman on the other side of the door more than it’d ever wanted anything.
&nbs
p; Which scared the shit out of him.
But that didn’t keep him from gripping the handle and pressing the lever to disengage the catch. He tugged, and the panel swung toward him, granting him entrance, and more importantly, gifting him with more of that sugary scent. He drew the flavors in until they sank into his blood. The wolf howled in appreciation, urging Aidan to move into the space and hunt her.
Fur slid free of his pores and just as quickly sunk back into his skin. The animal wanted out, wanted to pursue her, but the beast also knew it was easier to talk to her without a wolf’s snout.
There was something else in her flavors. Or rather there was something missing from her scent. She wasn’t a wolf, but one hundred percent human. Which meant that, because she was at the Gathering, she was either Alpha Marked or Warden Born.
For the first time in his life, Aidan felt a hint of hope and… desire. Not a hard-on that was easily served by any woman who dropped to her knees. No, this was a soul-deep craving.
Aidan stepped into the room and scanned the interior. Tables and trios of chairs were scattered throughout the small area, the furniture setup specifically for Tests of Proximity. They were all very scheduled and rigid, specific times when Alpha Marked could sit with Alpha Pairs to determine if they were a match. The Ruling Alpha Mate described it as werewolf speed dating. “Sniff? No burning marks? Next!”
Honestly, it was good that structure was in place. He couldn’t imagine what it’d be like if wolves were allowed to run rampant and pounce on every passing female. This kept everyone safe.
Well, everyone but the female he hunted. This chase was so far out of bounds it was ridiculous, but the animal inside him wouldn’t let him break off his pursuit.
He let the door swing closed behind him. The loud scrape of metal on metal and the final echoing thunk of it latching bolted through the room. A low whimper followed on its heels, and he swung his attention toward the source. His quarry wasn’t in sight, but that didn’t worry him, or the wolf. They’d find her.
He took a step farther into the room, and her scent surrounded him. His cock twitched and hardened, not filling his jeans, but enough to make it uncomfortable to walk. No matter. This woman was the first female he’d wanted since… ever, honestly. He fucked plenty of women, but they’d always been after Carson. Aidan was always an afterthought to them. Which made him go through the motions rather than revel in the pleasure. He got off, but it was empty.
His wolf would have this female.
Aidan slowly made his way toward the back right corner of the room. The low, luring whimper had come from that direction, and he hadn’t seen her scurry to another hiding place. With each step closer, his body burned hotter, cock pulsing with need and his hip… He rubbed his right hip, a burning throb taking up residence the nearer he got to his prey.
Aidan froze in place, ceasing his travels as he stroked that spot. His dick ached, but that was because he wanted to fuck the woman he chased. The rest of him was healthy and strong. Wolves were hardy, and their very nature kept them free of illness. He hadn’t gotten into a brawl in at least a week and even then he would have healed in a day.
So there was no reason for him to have a random, ever increasing pain as he tracked the woman. Unless… He gulped. No. No.
If an Alpha Pair found their Marked, their mate, then the woman’s Mark would burn and pulse. Which, in turn, caused that same area to throb on the men’s bodies.
So there was only one reason he’d have a painfully hard dick that had him ready to blow at any moment, and a burning sensation on his hip that refused to be extinguished.
She was there. His mate, their mate.
Aidan’s cell phone vibrated, the buzz slicing the silence, and the woman gasped. She kept quiet at least, nearly soundless, but his wolf’s ears picked it up.
He looked at his phone once again, only the words on the screen didn’t catch his attention. No, it was the scars decorating his hands and arms. Some were hardly visible, time having made them blend with his natural color, while others were raised and stark white against his tanned skin.
The ageless unease that lurked in the back of his mind rushed forward. He was certain she belonged to them, but he wasn’t sure he could survive if she turned from him and sought out Carson like every other woman they’d enjoyed. He wasn’t much to look at, not with the damage he’d sustained all those years ago. He hoped—
The grating of the door hit him a brief moment before Carson’s voice reached him. “Yo, fucker, we’re late and you know those guys—”
He hadn’t torn his attention from his mate’s hiding place so when she squeaked and jumped from her spot behind the table to bolt from him, it was easy to snare her.
Aidan snatched her to him, hooking his arm around her waist and halting her run for freedom. He yanked her against his body, molding her back to his front, and his cock took notice of their proximity. The burning on his hip became a full body ache to have her beneath him—he spared a glance for Carson—beneath them.
She was all plump curves and silken skin. The scents of the forest coated her flesh, but he delved deeper to that sweet aroma that had him following her. Yes, it was there. Perfection.
“Aidan!” Carson yelled at him, but it was as if it were at a distance. His entire focus remained on the female—on her deep brown hair that held shades of red in its depths. On the roundness of her ass as it pressed against his cock, the curve of her waist as he held her captive, the way her abundant breasts rested atop his forearm.
He wanted to see her face, look into her eyes and trace her features with his gaze. His wolf howled for her, demanding he claim her now, right this second. But that wasn’t how things worked. It wasn’t how the process progressed, and he’d never hated laws more.
“What the fu—” Carson gasped and he knew what his partner was experiencing.
Uncontrollable want and burning need.
The woman he held captive fought him, kicking and scratching, and he smiled. She wasn’t a weak female. Then again, one destined for Alphas couldn’t be a wilting flower. She had to be strong to stand up to men who led a pack.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, he spun her around. He shifted his hold until her front met his, and his arm was secure around her back. Shining blue eyes collided with his, fear and panic filling them. He should try to soothe her, release her and calm her obvious terror.
Instead, he noted the gentle slope of her nose, her heart-shaped face, and her plump lips. He wanted to capture them with his own and dive into a passionate kiss. He’d taste her, soothe her, and then take her.
She… did not feel the same.
She screamed so loudly it nearly shattered his eardrums. Then she asked the most absurd question imaginable.
“Are you an alien, too?” Her voice rose with the last word, and if he weren’t so enamored with the tinkling quality of the syllables, he would have laughed. Instead, his cock throbbed.
“No, I’m a werewolf.” His words were matter of fact and blunt.
She shivered in his hold, and her feminine musk drifted to him. She was aroused, or at least feeling a bit of desire, and she was focused on him. At his scars and crooked nose and the way his eyes were the deep yellow of his wolf twenty-four/seven.
“Werewolves aren’t real,” she whispered. “Can you be an alien instead? That would be better. An alien would be better.” She nodded, her fallen curls hiding her eyes. He brushed them from her face, and she didn’t flinch from him. If anything, the scent of her cream increased. “You know what’s even better than aliens? Passing out. Can I do that now? I’d like to do that now.”
Another nod from her and he grinned. She was perfect. A little bit crazy and gorgeous as hell.
“Tell me your name first.” His wolf filled his voice, and she gave a low whimper, but it wasn’t one of fear. No, not a hint of fright tinged the sound. It was all arousal.
“Rebecca.”
“Rebecca.” He tested the name on his tongue, savori
ng the syllables. “Pass out, Rebecca. I have you.”
“Thanks so much.”
She truly had been waiting for permission because the moment she said the last word, she went limp in his arms. Her head lolled back, and Carson was there, cupping her skull in his hand.
“Aidan?” Carson’s voice was rough. “Is she…”
“Yes.” There was no doubt in his mind. The burning need, the wolf’s reaction to her. Yes, she was theirs. “She’s—”
“Unhand the woman!” A familiar voice cut into their conversation, and Aidan groaned. “Penises better not have entered orifices! Or teeth!” Scarlet spun and snapped at the Gathering organizer. “Send a new text. No teeth.” Aidan’s cell phone buzzed with a text message. Then they were the focus of the Ruling Alpha Mate once again. “Let her go.”
“She’s ours,” Aidan snarled, and Carson added his own growl.
Instead of being afraid of their combined anger, the woman snorted. “What. Ever. Emmett and Levy felt her appearance and also informed me she has no idea what she’s doing here. So hand her over for orientation and then we’ll see what we can see.”
“She’s ours.” This time it was Carson, and the male sounded even more threatening than Aidan ever had.
Scarlet glared. “She’ll go through tests and meetings like every other woman here, boys. She needs to understand everything before she’s shoved into our world. Every year there are Marked who are dragged here by the Wardens and they have no idea what they’re in for. There are even more women this year because of the Warden Born. Do you think she’d have ended up in this room if she knew? Don’t you think she would have checked in like any other Marked woman and actually showered before coming downstairs?”
Aidan was reminded of the dirt covering his female, the smudges that lined her cheeks and the soil that covered her clothing. He accepted that Scarlet’s assumptions were correct. Rebecca had been brought to the Gathering through a Warden’s summoning, and she didn’t know about the wolves, Marks, or what awaited her when she awoke.