by Celia Kyle
“No shit. She’s ours. It’d be difficult to claim our mate if she didn’t want us.” He still believed it down to his bones and no matter what anyone said, she belonged to them.
“No, she wants you. Not me. You.” Carson dropped his head back and released a grim laugh. “First time in my life some chick doesn’t want me and prefers you.”
The words slammed home, gutting him. “You have a problem with her wanting me? Liking me?” He fought for breath, his lungs still frozen in place. “And you think she likes me over you, and that’s what’s got you pissed? The idea that a woman we both want, who we crave as a mate, might want me more? That’s what you’re saying, right? You’re enraged because, for once, a female desires me.”
He knew without a doubt that Rebecca craved Carson just as much as she yearned for him. She was destined for them. Not one or the other.
“They always turn to me, Aidan. Always. And you and her…”
“You don’t think she could desire me, do you? I’ve always been the one females tolerated, and you can’t handle the fact that she needs me.” Rage, pure molten rage, filled him. His friend, his best friend and fucking Alpha partner… “You’ve always thought of me as a charity case, haven’t you? Poor scarred Aidan, let’s always share a woman because then he’d at least get laid.”
He shook his head, memories colliding. It was true he’d been self-conscious growing up. Being the bastard son of the Alpha meant rough treatment by the more powerful males. But that wasn’t what ruined him. No, that came at the hands of his father’s mate.
His father fucked and impregnated Aidan’s mother, and then his dad and Alpha partner found their mate. She hadn’t appreciated Aidan’s presence and tried to end it. Violently and with the help of her family. He’d grown into his scars, accepted them as part of him even though they fucked with his head.
There was a truth, however. Between his size and the wounds, he scared the hell out of people. Women included. So when he’d met and connected with Carson in his early twenties, he’d still been a virgin.
Carson was the one who said they should always share. They should be experienced in pleasuring their shared mate and what better way to do that than to always take a woman together?
“I was always a pity fuck, wasn’t I?” The emotions crushed him, years of partnership crumbling before his eyes. “You got them into bed and convinced them to let me touch them, bring them pleasure.” His throat squeezed. “Every one of them closed their eyes when I touched them, and you fucking told them it was okay.”
Instead of answering, Carson turned his head away and stared at the far wall. Well, that was answer enough, wasn’t it?
Aidan stepped back, disgust overruling every other feeling swirling through him. “Fuck you, Carson.” The words were hoarse, and he cursed himself for showing the hurt. “Get the fuck out. I don’t give a damn where you go and what you do, but get the fuck out before I kill you.”
Carson still wouldn’t look at him. “It doesn’t have to be this way. She isn’t ours. Despite the pull, she doesn’t belong to us. She’s ruining it and—”
“You may not want her, but I do. If she’s not ours, she sure as fuck is mine.” He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I’ll petition the Ruling Alphas to dissolve our bond.”
His partner swung his gaze to Aidan, eyes wide. “You’re going to destroy us over a woman?”
Aidan shook his head. “No, you destroyed us long ago. There are no secrets in an Alpha Pair, Carson. Even I know that. But you managed to keep this bottled up, and I refuse to be tied to a male who can’t be honest with me, one who’s spent years pitying me. I deserve better. Rebecca deserves better.” He took a deep breath. “Get out. Stay somewhere else, I don’t give a fuck where, but you need to be gone before she gets out of the shower.”
Time stood still, two Alphas with their stares locked and neither backing down. It was a pure moment of truth and dominance. One of them would flinch, one of them would end the game and relent. It wouldn’t be Aidan. He had too much at stake. Mainly his future with Rebecca. Maybe he had been wrong all those years ago. Maybe he’d felt a pull toward Carson, but it hadn’t been the need to form a pair.
Maybe there was a male out there truly meant to finish his triad with Rebecca. Because it sure as hell wasn’t Carson. Their future hung in the balance, stretched taut between them, and it was his partner who flinched first.
Carson jerked his attention from Aidan and moved around him, putting distance between them. “I’ll send a bellhop for my stuff.”
Aidan nodded but didn’t say a word. He couldn’t.
He listened to Carson’s progress, the sound of the man’s boots on the polished marble. One step turned into a dozen and then they paused at the door. The jingle of the chair scraping against metal snapped through the quiet.
But Aidan couldn’t leave well enough alone. He thought back through their few meetings with Rebecca and only came up with one instance when she shied from their touch.
The knob clicked, disengaging the lock, and Aidan’s voice rang through the room. “Did you stop and think that maybe we were overwhelming her?” He turned toward his friend. “Did you think that the two of us surrounding her in the middle of a packed hallway, minutes after being told about werewolves and then she’s left with virtual strangers… That might have frightened her? Perhaps she wasn’t cringing, but merely stepping back because she needed space, and I happened to be there. We were hot and hard for her, two men she didn’t know, and she was frightened. I know you didn’t scent a hint of disgust, Carson. I know that aroma, I’ve smelled it often enough when we fucked the same woman. Rebecca wasn’t repulsed by us; she was scared and aroused.” Carson frowned but didn’t say a word. “But that doesn’t matter because this”—he waved a hand between them—“this is fucked.”
Carson opened his mouth to speak, but Aidan overrode him. “So you take your pitying ass out of here. I don’t want you here.”
“What about her? You said…” His friend’s voice was hoarse, but it was a soft feminine alto that answered.
“She doesn’t want you here either.” Rebecca stepped from her room, wrapped in the fluffy robe he’d left for her. Her skin was flushed and damp from her shower, but her stare was icy cold.
“Rebecca…” Carson tried and Aidan recognized his friend’s remorse, but the pain was too deep.
Rebecca shook her head. “No. Whatever this is”—she gestured to the three of them—“Aidan’s right.” She stepped further into the room. Her visible pain had him aching to go to her, to wrap her in his arms. “You’ve spent years…” She looked to Aidan. “How many years?”
“Fourteen.” Aidan pushed the word past his pain.
“For fourteen years you’ve pitied him. I may not know all there is to know about your kind, but I sure as hell know I wouldn’t want to be with someone who stayed out of pity.” She fisted the lapels of the robe, hands shaking, and then she lowered them along the seam. She stopped mid-thigh, trembles still wracking her body. “If we worked this out, if somehow…”
God, Aidan wished, hoped, and prayed they could.
Rebecca shuddered. “Would you stay with me out of pity?”
“Rebecca,” Carson wheezed. “Wha—?”
She was careful as she parted the fluffy fabric, gentle as she eased one half open to expose a portion of her thigh. Any other time, Aidan would drop to his knees and beg her for a taste, for a chance to savor that pale skin. But now, in the middle of this conversation, while they discussed pain and scars and the future… his heart ached for her.
Scars. Burn scars. They crisscrossed her thigh, stopping a few inches above her knee, but he wondered how high they crawled over her body. Did they stop at her stomach, progress to her breasts? He’d admired the slope of the plump mounds, but what had her clothing hidden? He didn’t pity this beautiful woman, but he was physically ill when he thought of the pain she endured.
“Would you see this and cringe? Keep me eve
n if you felt sorry for me?”
“It wasn’t—” Carson tried again and once again, she shook her head.
“No. Aidan was right when he said I was overcome by all of the information I’d been fed, combined with your presence. And you know what? Maybe I did lean toward him. Maybe I did it because I saw this man who was unashamed by his scars, who walked around like he didn’t give a fuck. Maybe it made me think that if a guy like him, one who was gorgeous and confident despite the pain of his past, wanted someone like me… Maybe it meant he wouldn’t be disgusted by these scars.” She dropped her robe back into place, covering the twisted flesh. “And maybe his Alpha partner might feel that way, too. But”—she shrugged—“you’re repulsed, and it is what it is. You’re not the first. Hopefully, if we can figure out this weird mating thing—because, god, I want you—we’ll find a wolf who doesn’t care.”
Carson took a step forward and away from the opened door. “Rebecca, wait.”
His mate padded toward him, and he lifted his arm for her, welcoming her and holding her close as she cuddled against him. “Right now… It’s best if you go.”
So Carson did.
And Aidan prayed his own heart would stop hurting someday.
Chapter Six
Rebecca’s hands shook. She didn’t know why she was so affected by the fight between Aidan and Carson. It was between them. It didn’t include her. And yet…
It hit so close to home. It reminded her of the men she’d dated and their reaction to her body, to their attempts at intimacy and the eventual ending of relationships.
Because she’d been burned. Because she’d been hurt as a child and lived with the effects every day. Who were they to be disgusted? They didn’t live with the stinging sensations when certain types of cloth brushed the scars. They didn’t live with the tightness and need to massage the twisted skin even after all these years.
Aidan squeezed her shoulder, his heat sinking through the terrycloth robe. The weight of his lingering kiss on the top of her head soothed her but didn’t lessen the trembles and emotions thrumming through her.
Her past had come calling in the form of a man she was attracted to—more than attracted—and she’d answered the door.
“You okay?” he murmured against the top of her head.
No.
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry you had to hear that, see that.”
“Better now than later, right? And, you know, the whole Mark thing…” She had to keep reminding herself. Each time she forgot, she let her fantasies take her farther into her imagined future. From kisses, to sex, to early mornings, and child—
“You heard what I said.”
Yeah, she was his no matter what. The possessive words should have annoyed her. Instead, they soothed her nerves. “I know.”
“You gonna be okay if I go change real quick? I need to speak to Madden and Keller and showing up in ratty jeans and a holey T-shirt won’t help my cause.”
She pulled back and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “Do you really want to do this? Break your bond? You’re upset now, but he’s been with you for so long, Aidan. I worry you’ll make a mistake. You’ll think things over and…”
And change his mind.
“No, it’s the right decision. Trust is a big thing within an Alpha Pair. We have to depend on each other and rule as one. It’s broken, and it’s best we part ways while we’re still young enough to join with another to find happiness.” He tucked her wet hair behind her ear. “I can’t mate you fully unless we have another Alpha, and Rebecca, I want to claim you more than I want to breathe.”
Tears sprung to her eyes, and she fought to blink them back. “Okay.” She nodded. “Okay. Go change, and while you talk to them I can sit with my cousins.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He dropped a kiss to her lips and stepped away. “A concierge should be bringing some clothing for you. My wallet is on the small table near the door. Give him a twenty. If someone comes looking for Carson’s stuff, tell him to come back later.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “How long is it gonna take you to change, five minutes? I doubt someone’s gonna show up during that time. And if they do, I’m a big girl.”
That earned her a growl from Aidan, and she was in his arms again, his hands spanning her ass. “You are and I love it. All soft curves for me.” He squeezed her cheeks and the seductive sensations passed to her pussy, tugging a moan from her chest. He immediately softened his touch and pulled away. “Did I hurt you? I don’t know the extent of your scars. You need to tell me if they’re sensitive. I have a few burn scars and some—”
She placed her hand over his mouth. “We can talk about that later, but no, I don’t have any there. They’re mostly on my front. I love that you care, but you need to change.”
God, she loved that he cared.
He gave her one last kiss, one last squeeze, and then strode toward a door on the opposite side of the room. There were two in that direction, and she imagined one must have belonged to Carson. She grimaced, thinking of the events of the last few minutes. The day had been a rollercoaster ride, and she was ready for things to even out, to be steady for half a minute before something else blew up.
With werewolves, she didn’t think her life would ever be smooth again.
Of course, within thirty seconds of Aidan disappearing, someone knocked on the door.
With a groan, she padded toward the entry to the suite, tightening the belt at her waist while ensuring she was covered. She peeked through the peephole and spotted a male dressed in a hotel uniform waiting in the hallway, clothes swinging from hangers in hand.
Rebecca snatched up Aidan’s wallet and flipped it open. Something inside her cringed at going through his belongings. It was weird to dig through the man’s wallet. But she did it anyway and plucked out a twenty.
Another knock and she rolled her eyes. Impatient.
She turned the handle and tugged the door open, smiling at the male before her. “Hi, how are you?”
“Miss Twynham?”
“Yes, thanks so much for getting these for me, I really appreciate it.” She reached for the hangers with one hand while passing over the cash with the other. Not waiting for a response, she moved to ease the door closed, but the man placed his booted foot against the panel, stopping the movement.
“I have a message for you, as well.”
Rebecca frowned and tilted her head to the side. No one knew she was here, and if it was from Carson, she wasn’t quite ready for it yet. “Message?”
The man presented a small envelope and Rebecca tucked the clothing beneath her arm as she fought to open the message.
Hi Rebecca,
Come on up when you get tired of dealing with your mates. We can talk about your Mark and stuff.
Mwah!
Scarlet
Rebecca frowned. Her Mark? But she didn’t have one and Scarlet knew…
“Would you like to dress? I can take you to see the Ruling Alpha Mate.”
Rebecca shot him a suspicious glance with her brow furrowed. “I can find my own—”
“Rebecca?”
Thank goodness. The guy was giving her the willies, and she so didn’t want to deal with his weird, smarmy smile any longer.
“Right here. My clothes came, and I got a note from—” She turned toward the sound of Aidan’s voice flowing from behind the partially closed bedroom door. Which put her back to the hotel employee.
Yeah, that was a mistake.
An arm wrapped around her neck, pressed tightly against her throat, and cut off her air. She dropped the clothes and wallet to scratch at the forearm holding her captive.
“Stop it, bitch.” A blunt instrument pressed against her back. Hard and small, she wasn’t sure if the man held a gun or knife to her body, but it didn’t matter, did it? Because hair slid under her palms, and she glanced at the man’s arm, at the gray fur escaping his pores.
A werewolf. Of course, in a hotel filled with w
erewolves and run by werewolves, a crazy man would be a werewolf.
Nice.
“Don’t say a word. Keep your mouth shut and back the fuck up.” He dragged her backwards, not giving her a choice in the matter. With his hold crushing her windpipe, she was forced to remain silent. “We’re going downstairs and walking through that fucking lobby and you won’t say a word.” He tightened his grip. “One syllable and I’ll have your mates killed. I’ve got wolves watching them. One.” He squeezed tighter, sending pain racing through her body. “Word.”
She fought to observe their surroundings. If there were males watching Aidan, then they had to be nearby, right? But the man’s grasp kept her immobile and only able to focus on the empty room, the disorderly furniture, and the archway that separated her from Aidan.
They stumbled through the doorway, panel sliding closed as they departed. She struggled against him, scratching and tugging at his arm. But with each flex and twitch of muscle, her body weakened, her air quickly stifled by the stranger’s hold.
She prayed Aidan would appear, that he would stride into the hallway and save her. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and they reached the bank of elevators. The moment he pushed a button, doors slid apart.
Now they spun until he was firm against the back of the elevator, and she was before him, staring at the metal—at her own reflection. Panic filled her eyes, fear and anger warring for dominance while adrenaline rushed her veins. Her stomach revolted at his touch, heaved and clenched at the feel of his skin and fur against hers.
Just before the elevator jerked into motion, Aidan called for her, his voice raised and tinged with worry. “Rebecca? Rebecca!”
Then they were going down, descending and flying past floor after floor. They didn’t stop, didn’t pause at the levels between their suite and the lobby. She prayed they’d halt, that another set of wolves would step in and rescue her.
But they didn’t.
“I’ve got you now, don’t I? They said it couldn’t be done, but I did it.” His rancid breath fanned her cheek, but it was the proof of his arousal that disgusted her most.