by Celia Kyle
And… she needed to know before things went further, before he and Carson stripped her bare and claimed her as their own. He didn’t like it, but it was necessary. He hoped she’d accept them when she knew the truth.
“Where”—he cleared his throat and pushed back the emotions crowding his chest—“where should we take her?”
Chapter Four
Rebecca stared at the three women surrounding her. They’d been there from the moment she’d opened her eyes and still hadn’t left her alone.
And alone would be a good thing. If she were by herself, she’d find a way to escape the crazies standing before her as well as those who lurked on the other side of the door.
Who knew they had an asylum that held thousands of people who all had the same delusion? It was one for the record books.
Even worse, they were her cousins. Blood relatives. Was Rebecca going to drink the Kool-Aid and suddenly join them in Crazy Town?
“Sooo…” Rebecca raised her eyebrows and looked to Scarlet, their “Ruling Alpha Mate.” Whatever that was. Rebecca didn’t wanna know. “I haven’t seen you three since we were kids. I mean, we last got together before the great Family Implosion of Doom during the last family reunion.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, it was your mom’s fault. She was all—”
“Focus,” Gabby snapped at Scarlet and then returned her attention to Rebecca. “Go ahead. We know you have questions.”
Questions? Right. She shook her head. “To recap. Werewolves are real.” All three women nodded. “And this is the annual Gathering.” Another set of nods. “And women who have either a weird scar tattoo thing or who are meant to be with magic werewolves”—holy shit, magic is real—“are summoned here with aforementioned magic.” More nods. “And I was dragged here by magic because I hadn’t shown up yet?”
“Right,” Whitney, the quietest of the three responded.
“Which means I have a Mark thingy, or I’ll glow in the dark and get a shit-ton of Mark thingies like Whitney.” Rebecca gulped when they all gave the same nods. “I would prefer aliens.”
Whitney patted Rebecca’s arm. “I know, but it’s real, werewolves are real. The existence of werewolves, Marked, and Warden Born are as old as time.”
“It could be a mistake,” she interjected hopefully.
“No.” Scarlet shook her head. “The mojo-wielding idiots may not have done things exactly right, but they aren’t wrong about getting the women here. You just didn’t end up in the right place here. You see, the ballroom is set up so that…” Scarlet gestured behind her and Rebecca peered around her cousins to find more clumps of women throughout the massive room. Small groups surrounded single, panic-stricken women, and she imagined they were all receiving the same news.
Werewolves were real, and they were meant to mate with one.
Mate…
“You realize I don’t have a Mark thing. I mean, I know my body, right?” Scarlet and Gabby had flashed their Marks during show and tell so she knew what she was looking for. But she also knew every scarred, taut inch of her body and nary a Mark was to be seen. Just burns, and she was thankful those were easily covered with clothing. “And there’s no scar thing.” Other scars, but they were twisted masses of skin and tissue. Not the pretty swirls that decorated her cousins.
“The thing about that is…” Scarlet began again, and Gabby picked up the end of the sentence.
“You wouldn’t be here without one. If you don’t have a Mark”—Gabby raised her eyebrows and Rebecca shook her head—“then you’re meant for a pair of Wardens. Which, I mean, is kinda cool. When I mated Berke and Jack, I only got awesome sex and those two constantly in my head. Whitney got super powers and this glowing thing when she gets pissed. I mean, it usually comes right before she whips out her power-dick, but whatever.”
Said woman suddenly glowed as she glared at Gabby.
“Any-way.” Scarlet clapped her hands twice. “Back on track, people. Gabby, quit antagonizing Whitney. When she burns your ass—again—I will totally forbid your mates from rubbing your butt.” Gabby shrugged and Scarlet continued. “Or fucking it.”
“Hey now, that’s a low blow,” Gabby whined.
“Uh…” Rebecca swallowed back her panic. “Berke and Jack? Two men?” Did they leave something out? Screw it, she’d ask. “Did you leave something out of this lovely delusion you’ve drawn me into?”
It was kinda nice if she ignored the werewolf part and enjoyed the fancy hotel, forced vacation thing.
“Oh. Yeah. You boink two guys. Never one. Single wolves boink single wolves, but Alpha and Warden Pairs need a non-furry human woman to balance them. Otherwise”—Scarlet waved her hands in the air as if they were cars and then rammed her fists into each other—“boom. Madness, and in the case of Alphas, lots of blood ensues.” Scarlet’s eyes widened. “Which reminds me. Are you super sure you don’t have a Mark? Anywhere? Because those guys you met—”
Guys… She’d met two and only got a good look at one of them. He was all kinds of tall, dark, and do me now. “Yeah?”
“They kinda sorta think you’re their mate but you can’t be their mate if you don’t have a Mark. So, if we could take an itty-bitty peek to make sure you don’t—”
“No.” She shut her cousin down before she voiced the rest of the question. It didn’t matter if they were family, there were parts of her she didn’t want anyone to see.
“But they think… And…” Scarlet frowned. “You don’t feel the need to climb them like a mountain and beg them to plant their flags? I mean, I know Aidan isn’t much to look at, but—”
A growl built in Rebecca’s throat and vibrated the air around her. “He’s gorgeous.”
Scarlet’s eyes widened. “That was kind of scary awesome. Gorgeous?”
“Yes,” Rebecca snapped.
“Right. You might be Marked and just not know it. Maybe in your vagina? Especially since you think Aidan with all his freakishly large size and, you know, Land-o-Scarring is hot. And they wanna hump your leg like a fire hydrant.” Scarlet nodded to reaffirm her statement. “Like, hard core.”
Yeah, well, Rebecca felt the urge to do her own kind of humping though hers was more like rubbing all over him. Her right hip tingled, warming, and a sliver of arousal slithered into her veins. She’d reacted the same way when in that small room with that guy—Aidan?—and it intensified when the other man entered.
Rebecca grimaced and shook her head. “They’re hot.” So friggin’ hot. “But I’d know if I had a Mark. Really.”
Her cousins exchanged a speaking look, and it appeared they had a silent conversation before focusing on Rebecca again.
Scarlet spoke, and she figured it made sense. She was the eldest and ruler-type person. “Okay, but since you’re new, it might be a good idea to have a guard or two.”
Rebecca huffed. “A babysitter?”
“Well, okay, fine. A babysitter.” Scarlet waved her hand. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure a few other Wickham cousins are gonna pop up. I mean, we were really close in age at the family reunion, right? You were three, I was four? We were little, but I remember you and your sisters. If any of them were Warden Born, their happy asses were automagically hauled here. And they won’t have any clue like you and—” A shout had them all turning toward the main doors. Two massive men—probably werewolves and not aliens—carefully dragged a woman into the room. “And it’d be great to not have to worry about you.” Scarlet turned to her again. “I mean, can you be trusted not to pull a gun on anyone?”
Rebecca tilted her head to the side, thinking about what her backpack held. Thank God she hadn’t released it when she was hauled through that dark, scary as hell place. “Gun? No, I don’t have a gun.”
Bear repellant was a different story, and it’d probably work. Bears were big and had fur. All the men she’d seen here were massive and sometimes had fur. It’d work.
All three women deflated, releasing relieved sighs.
&n
bsp; “Good, that’s real good,” Scarlet spoke again. “So I’m going to release you to Aidan and Carson.”
“Carson?”
“The other guy. Not quite as big, no freaky scars—”
Something inside Rebecca snapped. “Stop talking about Aidan that way.”
Scarlet rocked back on her heels. “Right, right. You’re going with them. They’re an Alpha Pair, so they have a big-assed suite. You can stay there until you find your mate or the Gathering ends. Whichever comes first. They’re good guys. Uh…” Scarlet scrunched her nose. “Can I call them scary? Because, really, they are.”
Rebecca leveled a glare on Scarlet. “I can see why the Twynhams and Wickhams don’t talk anymore.”
“Hey, now.” Whitney spoke up. “Let’s not bring that drama-llama here. We already have enough. Our parents and grandparents were the ones who had problems, but that doesn’t mean we have to. This will give us a chance to get to know one another without our families interfering.” Whitney reached out and squeezed Rebecca’s hand. “We didn’t have cousins growing up and I think it’d be awesome to have one. Maybe we could have dinner while you’re here. I know you’re still reeling from all this, but you could sit down with our mates and learn a little more about us all without this madness.”
Yeah, Rebecca felt the same. She had her sisters, Lorelei and Paisley, but they hadn’t had cousins growing up. “Sure, that sounds good.”
“Great!” Gabby clapped her hands. “Let’s get you to your matching mountains and then we can try and keep the rest of these women from neutering any of the wolves.”
With that, Gabby snared Rebecca’s hand and hauled her from the couch. Before she was dragged away, she snatched up her dirty backpack. “Do you think I could get a shower? Or clothes?”
Or at least a washing machine and a sink so she didn’t reek of the forest.
Gabby smirked at her. “Oh, Hunks One and Two will take care of ya.”
Rebecca groaned. “You’re making it sound like something it’s not. They’re hot, but if what you say is true, then…” There’s nothing between them.
Gabby jolted to a halt and grabbed both of Rebecca’s hands. “Listen to me. I know what the Wardens believe, and I know there are all kinds of rules and laws hanging around. But Whitney, who didn’t have a Mark, found her mates with Emmett and Levy. If they want you this bad and you want them just as much, then there’s probably someone else who got things wrong. Don’t push them away because of what all these people say.”
“You’re one of these people.”
Gabby shrugged. “Yeah, but I’m awesome-er, so I don’t count.”
They resumed their trek toward the main set of doors. The moment they stepped into the hallway, Aidan and who had to be Carson jumped in their path. Neither touched Rebecca, but she sensed their need to lay their hands on her. She felt the same desire, the urge to stroke Aidan’s skin and run her fingers through Carson’s wavy hair.
Gabby proceeded with introductions, but Rebecca remembered Aidan’s embrace and the deep rumble of Carson’s voice. “Aidan Hall and Carson Holland, Garden Ridge, Illinois Alpha Pair, let me introduce you to Rebecca Twynham. Also known as a Wickham cousin.”
“Cousin?” That did not sound like a deep rumble. No, Carson squeaked like a mouse.
“Yes, the family had a falling out when we were young, but she’s our cousin and we’ve all agreed she might be more comfortable staying with you two for the weekend.”
“She’s ours. It’ll be longer than a weekend.” Carson’s voice was filled with unyielding conviction, and his eyes went from a gorgeous chocolate brown to a bright amber. An amber similar to Aidan’s. Like a wolf. A wolf’s eyes or a werewolf’s eyes and holy cow it finally slammed home that she wasn’t surrounded by aliens, but honest to God werewolves.
She focused on his words, on the blatant proclamation, and her heart stuttered. She wanted his statement to be true so, so badly. Because even if she weren’t the type of girl to snare such hotties, she’d take them without hesitation.
But… “I, uh, don’t think I am. Because… You see… I don’t have…”
Gabby placed her hand in Rebecca’s and squeezed. “What Rebecca is trying to say is she’s not Marked.”
*
The world around Carson ceased to exist the moment Rebecca stepped from the Grand Ballroom. Hell, he hardly noticed Gabby’s presence at her side. His entire focus was on Rebecca and Rebecca alone. Their mate had emerged, and now they could get to the matter of claiming her. Sure, some wooing might have to happen since she knew nothing of wolves, but he planned on sinking into her heat as deep and often as possible.
He was more than up for it now. If she were willing…
Damn it, his cock seemed to get even harder and fuck if his hip didn’t tingle and throb in time with his heart. His wolf caught her scent and howled in approval, prepared to claim the small human woman as their own. She was a tiny thing, short and curved in all the right places. He couldn’t wait to run his hands through her hair and fist the strands as she sucked his dick. Yes, as soon as he got enough of her pussy and ass, he’d have her wrap those plump lips around his shaft. He’d beg if that’s what it took.
When it came to Rebecca, he’d gladly drop to his knees if it meant being close to her. And naked. It wouldn’t be worth it unless they were nude and sweaty and…
Then Gabby’s words cut through his fantasies and sunk into his brain. “Wait, what?” He shook his head. “She’s…”
“Ours.” Aidan’s voice was flat and emotionless, but Carson knew better. His partner was holding his wolf back by a thread.
Gabby gave him a kind smile. “I understand, but…”
The heavy weight of Aidan’s gaze slammed into him, but he kept his attention trained on the women before him. Aidan wanted him to fix things, but some things were broken beyond repair. He craved Rebecca like no other, but if she didn’t have a Mark…
His wolf howled its objection and scraped his flesh from inside out. Normally the beast expressed his complaints by attacking Carson’s arms and forcing his hands to shift. But today, it scratched him in an altogether different spot. His right hip. As before, an ache enveloped the area, the warmth and tingling sensation sinking into his blood and moving to encircle his rapidly hardening shaft. The animal dragged its claws, bringing his attention to the location.
When Rebecca moved her hand and rubbed the same area on her own body, he realized he didn’t give a damn about Gabby’s words. Rebecca had a Mark. She had to have one. He couldn’t accept any other truth.
Maybe Rebecca was simply unwilling to accept her new reality. Maybe she was nervous about craving two men she’d just met. Hell, he didn’t give a damn why she denied having a Mark as long as she was going to spend the weekend with them.
Carson stepped forward and snared her free hand. Slowly, carefully, he brought it to his lips. He rotated her wrist and placed a tender kiss to her palm. “Hello.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened, her pupils growing in size until they almost obliterated the sparkling blue of her irises. Her chest rose and fell as she panted and fought for breath and the seductive, musky scent of her arousal surrounded them.
Oh, their little mate wanted them. There was no doubt about that fact.
“I can see I’m not needed,” Gabby’s voice interfered, but he didn’t bother tearing his gaze from Rebecca. “The family wants to have dinner with you three. Tonight? Eight?”
Aidan grunted his assent while Carson nodded. He couldn’t tear his gaze from Rebecca.
“Okay, then. See ya.” Gabby patted Rebecca, and it took everything in him not to snarl at the woman for touching the woman who belonged to him—to them. She was his mate’s cousin; pissing her off probably wasn’t a good idea.
The moment Gabby left their immediate area, Aidan was there, his massive body behind their small mate. Carson watched her reaction to the other Alpha. Rather than shy away from his bulk, she leaned against the large male. Unlike ev
ery woman they’d ever encountered, she sought shelter in his Alpha partner. That proved once again she was the one for them.
A low grumble, one that didn’t come from Carson’s or Aidan’s beasts, reached his ears, and a pink blush stole over Rebecca’s cheeks.
“Hungry?” He raised his eyebrows, hoping she said yes. They could feed her, take care of her. That pleased his wolf and the animal ceased his torment and changed its focus. Now it was intent on herding her toward the nearest restaurant.
Rebecca nodded and then grimaced. “Yeah, but I could use a shower and a change of clothes first. Something other than”—she glanced down and picked at her shorts, sending a cascade of dirt drifting to the ground—“mud chic.”
Another way for them to care for her. “We’ll go to our suite. We can order room service. While you clean up, we’ll see about getting you some clothes.”
A rumbling growl came from Aidan and Carson felt his wolf answer the sound. Images of a naked, wet Rebecca filled his mind, and he recognized those same thoughts in Aidan’s. It was great to almost share a brain.
Rebecca squeaked as his partner slid his arm around her waist to hug her close. That earned them another squeak and damn if that wasn’t a sexy sound.
Carson crowded her as well, easing forward until she was captured between their bodies. She pulled back from him the tiniest bit, and he leaned toward her. She wouldn’t escape them. Her warmth invaded him as did the flavors of her need. He couldn’t wait to taste her. His hip burned now, heating and pulsing, practically screaming that Rebecca belonged to them.
“Um…” The vibrations of her single word snaked along his spine, and his gums ached with the need to bare his fangs and sink them into her shoulder. It wouldn’t claim her, not truly, but it’d be a good warning to other wolves. “You guys are, um…” She swallowed and he traced the line of her neck with his gaze. “You’re kinda, you know.” She wiggled and Aidan groaned. Carson’s came right on its heels.
“Yeah, we are. You’re so damned gorgeous.” Carson stroked her cheek.