When she’d queried Jenkins as to the best way to get back into London, he’d simply shrugged his shoulders.
“Ah, Miss Marnie, why’d you want to do that? The boss won’t like that. You’d not want to get me into trouble, now, would you?”
Marnie knew when not to push her luck. He may have been smiling, but he had been unmovable and he had taken a rather peculiar interest in her neck. Marnie had been delighted to find that Lucas’ bite marks had finally faded. She had worn her hair up for the first time since getting here, grateful for the slight, cooling breeze on her hot skin.
Jenkins’ eyes had narrowed, taking in her neck, before wrenching his gaze upwards with a slight frown on his face. Every member of Ion’s pack she had encountered since had had a similar reaction, leaving Marnie rather confused and self-conscious. What the heck was up with everyone? They were friendly enough, but she could feel the tension in the air and behind the smiles aimed at her. Even the ever-cheerful Louisa wasn’t her usual self when she had tracked Marnie down, even though she had tried to hide it.
In the end, Marnie had sought refuge with the youngsters. She still wasn’t entirely sure how it all worked, but from what she could gather, the pack’s offspring were born and looked just like any other babies, following the same developmental pattern. The only difference was their speed and agility, which was apparent from the moment they could crawl. Ability to shift came with puberty, when both parents were shifters. In the case of half-breeds like Louisa, that wasn’t always true. Some of them could, others couldn’t. Louisa apparently had the agility of the shifter, but not the actual ability to shift.
It was all quite fascinating and Marnie had listened to little Leah’s mum with wide eyes, grateful for the woman’s seemingly un-ending ability to talk, especially when she too looked at her neck quizzically.
“Ok, I’ll bite, why is everyone staring at my neck today? Has it turned orange or something? Am I sprouting horns?”
A ridiculous notion, of course, but everything seemed possible after what she’d learned lately. Marnie’s hands went to her neck self-consciously as Leah’s mum’s eyes narrowed, before she smiled.
“It’s a beautiful neck, it’s just…”
“Just what?” Marnie’s exasperated shriek woke up Leah, and the answer was forgotten in the half hour it took to calm the little girl down. But the child eventually began to nurse, and peace was restored.
Was there ever a more beautiful sight then seeing a baby at her mother’s breast? She was turning maudlin, why else would she be sitting here staring at mother and babe with that inexplicable feeling of longing deep inside her soul. She could not be broody, could she? Babies were all well and good, but she was hardly in a position to entertain the notion of having one, let alone imagine a little boy with Ion’s eyes and her smile. Yet, when she closed her eyes that’s exactly what she saw, her hand involuntarily straying to her abdomen, until Ion’s scent in the air alerted her to his return.
Her eyes flew open and heat rushed to her cheeks. Marnie hastily dropped her hand and forced her lips into a nonchalant smile, praying like mad her earlier thoughts had not been mirrored in her face. Ion looked tense, watching the scene in front of him, an unreadable expression on his face. Jenkins stood behind him, wearing a silly grin, before Ion raised an eyebrow at him and his second sobered. Still, Jenkins couldn’t resist a wink in Marnie’s direction, earning himself a growl from Ion’s wolf. Both he and Leah’s mum scarpered, leaving them alone in the garden.
“Seriously, Ion, you jump and they go ‘how high’, don’t they. I’m surprised your ego is not bigger than it is.” Marnie couldn’t help but tease him a little; he looked too tense and forbidding, just standing, watching her through narrowed eyes. Her traitorous body was far too aware of him.
Sure enough his slow smile was wickedness itself, when he raised his nose and sniffed, his voice a low rumble, washing over her. “It’s not my ego getting bigger you need to worry over, little one.”
She swallowed at the all too visible strain on his jeans. “Missed me, then?” was her far too breathy reply, eliciting a low growl from Ion’s wolf, before he covered the distance in one big leap and Marnie found herself surrounded. She melted into his hard body with a small sigh, the feel of his hands in her hair as he inhaled deeply against her neck, building her instant arousal another notch. If only he wasn’t so tense.
****
Had he missed her? Hell, yeah! And he was going to show her exactly how much, just as soon as he’d told her the truth. Lucas was right; she needed to know. He couldn’t keep this from her any longer. When she had stated that she wanted to get back to work, his guts had clenched and he’d done the only thing he could do, seeking refuge in her body’s immediate and passionate response to him. The situation had escalated though, and Lucas was on his way here to talk strategies, determined to set the record straight and force the issue. Damn the vampire; if he’d cleared up after himself in the first place, none of this would have happened.
He would be free to indulge himself with Marnie and see where this would take them. He was all too aware of the pack’s confusion. They had expected them to be mated after their full moon “shag-a-thon”––as Jenkins had put it with his usual frankness––before Ion had made it clear that Marnie was not a topic of discussion for the pack. He should have known she would take matters into her own hands, rather than meekly waiting for his return. His shifter hearing had picked up the tail end of her conversation with Leah’s mum, the minute he’d stepped out of his truck, and his wolf had damn well almost howled in frustration. The sight of pure longing on her expressive face when he’d rounded the corner, before she sensed his presence and had tried to mask her feelings, had almost brought him to his knees. She had no idea what she was asking for, and no matter how much his wolf agreed with her, it wasn’t going to happen, ever.
Her slight wince in his arms made him loosen his grip and he let her scent wash over him, soothing away some of the tension he felt. Marnie’s small hands traced his chest and her whisper, “What’s wrong? Ion, talk to me,” made him pull her tighter against him for an instant, before he made himself step away.
She closed the gap almost immediately with a mischievous smile, and standing on her tiptoes, kissed him lightly.
“You should smile more, Ion. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. And I know something is up; the pack is restless, and if I were given to paranoia, I’d think it was my fault. I have been getting the most peculiar looks all day...”
“Yes, I’m afraid that’s my fault. I heard what you asked Leah’s mum. “
Her sharp intake of breath and instant blush did make him smile, as she narrowed her eyes, suspicion and embarrassment evident in every line of her body.
“How much have you heard? And, damn your shifter hearing.”
“Enough to know that the woman talks too much, little one, and that you’re far too curious for your own good.”
His smile deepened at the impudent way the little minx stuck her tongue out at him and poked him in the chest with one finger.
“Well, Mr-High-And-Mighty-Alpha, if you didn’t change the subject every time I ask you a personal question, then maybe I wouldn’t have to ask your pack. Not that anyone will tell me anything, apart from Leah’s mum. I warn you, mister, if you’ll hold that against her then...then,” she ran out of steam and he pulled her flush against him, running his tongue down her neck, where his mark should be. He smiled in her hair at her instant sigh of surrender.
“You’re doing it again; you’re not playing fair, Ion.”
“You don’t want me to play fair, little one. Where would be the fun in that?”
Marnie’s wolf-like growl into Ion’s chest got his beast purring in anticipation, and he tilted her head up to read her reaction at his next words.
“How much do you know about our mating ritual, little one?”
Her eyes widened at the question and focused on his with open curiosity and more than a hin
t of sass, even when he knew she was looking in his wolf’s eyes.
“You mean, apart from the obvious? And stop trying to scare me, Ion. Your wolf is a pussycat and he would never hurt me.” She stuck her tongue out at him again, making him chuckle. She sure was something else, but no doubt his explanation would send her running, especially after Lucas.
“Yes, apart from that, my sweet.”
“Very little, so spill. Do we dance naked under the moon or something?”
“Nothing that public, but if one of us takes a mate, we mate for life and there is nothing we wouldn’t do for our mate. For a male wolf it becomes impossible to have sex with anyone other than his mate. We are bonded through eternity and only death can break that bond. Even then it’s rare to take another mate. And it will bond you to the pack forever.”
He watched as she processed this information slowly.
“Is that why Louisa’s mum doesn’t live with the pack anymore, because her mate died and she finds it too difficult, or have you chucked her out?”
“We would never chuck her out, little one. She is one of us and always will be, but she blames herself for her mate’s death.”
“Why, what happened?”
Those expressive eyes of hers were full of compassion and held an edge of steel. She was not going to let him wriggle out of a full explanation, and she pulled away when he tried to kiss her.
“Oh no, mister, you aren’t leaving it there. Why is she blaming herself? “
He couldn’t stop the deep sigh escaping as he relived the bloody turf war that had also killed his father and made him alpha of the pack in one fell swoop. She was going to get it all and maybe then she would understand why she ought to be running away screaming, even though he couldn’t let her do that either. Her cool hands on his face brought him back to the sunny garden and the concerned, vibrant woman in his arms.
“Ion?”
He made himself smile at her, before focusing on the tree line behind her, as the sadness settled over him.
“We haven’t always lived peacefully with our neighbours, Marnie. The club was my father’s dream. Somewhere neutral, where shifters, vamps and other super-naturals could meet. Safe from detection by the humans and the authorities.”
“Did you need that? I thought humans didn’t know about you.”
“Some do; the ones we can trust. Others found out, and well, a shifter’s fur is a sought after commodity, my sweet.”
He smiled grimly at her outraged cry of, “WHAT? They hunt you?” Every pore of her body became alert with horror and her eyes widened further at his next growled words.
“They think we are an aberration of nature, we shouldn’t exist. Beasts within and all that; out to steal and eat their children and corrupt their females. Pure monsters, whose bite will turn them to into werewolves, prowling the night to seek their victims. The grim stuff of ancient fairy tales.”
“But that’s ridiculous. You’re nothing like that.”
“Aren’t we, little one? Isn’t that what you thought when you first found out about me?”
“No…never!” Marnie’s immediate and forceful denial did wonders for his bruised heart, as did her arms round his waist and the kiss she dropped on his chest, as she snuggled into him. “I was never afraid of you, Ion, or your wolf. Surprised, curious, shocked, maybe, but you never gave me reason to be afraid of you. I wouldn’t be here if I were, no matter how many overbearing wolves you put on my protection detail or what a pain in the ass you are. I certainly wouldn’t have allowed you to do half the things we did over the last few days.” Her voice trailed off and he once again could sense her embarrassment, before she squared her shoulders and looked up at him, a new awareness in her eyes.
“Is that why you kept me at arm’s length and treated me as though I was a china doll?”
“One of the reasons, little one.”
“God! Sometimes, Ion, you males are really dim! So, back to Louisa’s mum, what happened?”
“The neighbouring pack has been after these lands for as long as I can remember. My father held the peace as best he could, even mating with my mother, who was one of theirs.” He smiled at the whispered “Wow,” before she looked confused.
“But I thought, you mated for love? Did I get that wrong?”
“I didn’t say they didn’t love each other, little one. My mother was a beautiful, intelligent, strong alpha wolf, the only one to keep my father in check. They ruled our pack with iron control and no one ever dared question their authority. You remind me of her, you know.”
“I do?”
She leaned into his hand caressing her cheek, and her breathing hitched when he took a strand of her silky hair and inhaled deeply.
“You would make a beautiful wolf, little one, with your hair.”
“I…I would?”
He had to smile at the expression on her face, as she shook her head in denial.
“Hah, I’d be the most clumsy, uncoordinated wolf ever. I can trip up over thin air, Ion. You have seen how many times I keeled over in my high heels when I first started working at your club. Jenkins’ little one has more grace in one little finger, and he’s two!” Her eyes narrowed and she gave him a saucy grin that had him hard as nails in seconds. “You don’t need to flatter me to get into my knickers. I’ve got news for you. I’m a safe bet, Ion.”
“Is that right, little one?”
“You know darn well it is, so wipe that smug grin off your face, before I hold you to the promise in your jeans.”
Marnie squealed when his wolf pounced and Ion kissed her with all the pent up frustration and remembered horror of the images in his head. His control so thin, he was trembling when he finally broke the kiss, both of them breathing heavily. She shivered when he ran his fangs along the sensitive skin of her neck, all his senses urging him to sink in deep and claim the scented softness and make them one. He had never wanted anything more in his entire life, but she was human. It wouldn’t end well for either one of them, and he still owed her an explanation.
Through sheer force of will and seeing his mother’s eyes in front of him, Ion pulled back with a deep growl and rested his forehead against hers.
“Jeez, little one, you have no idea how much you tempt me.”
“Tempt you to do what, Ion?”
The eyes of his wolf devoured her and still the little human stood leaning into him, trusting and delicious and far too tempting.
“There’s one thing I haven’t told you about the mating. We seal the deal by biting our mate here,” and he ran one claw up her neck and into her hairline, his muscles poised for her to take flight, to run away screaming. He had seen her reaction to Lucas’ bite, her revulsion, but she simply stood perfectly still, her eyes huge and unblinking, looking up at him, the only sign of her agitation the rapidly beating pulse under his hand and the breathy quality of her voice.
“I see. And you want to mate with me, is that what you’re saying? Do I get a say in the matter?”
Ion didn’t answer her, not trusting what his wolf might say, but whatever she read in his eyes, she took a deep breath, her eyes shimmering with sudden tears.
“But you would never do that, because I’m human, right? What, too fragile, too much strain on the pack, like Louisa’s mum was? You say you would never chuck her out, but she clearly didn’t feel wanted. What did she do, Ion? Why did she feel she was responsible? Damn it, you stubborn wolf––tell me!”
Marnie was trembling in anger now, her flawless skin flushed, her chocolate eyes like steel boring into him and she took a step away from him and another, shaking her head in denial.
“If he doesn’t tell you, I will, chere.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lucas stepped out of the tree line, surrounded by three of Ion’s pack in wolf form. His hands were raised in surrender, belying the lazy smile on his face as he ran his eyes over Marnie slowly. Dressed in a light summer suit, a wide panama hat shielding his face from the sun, gloves covering his
hands.
He stayed in the shadows to reach them. Marnie’s palms itched to swipe that hat off his head and push him into the brilliant sunshine. He may not incinerate, because surely if he did, he wouldn’t risk being out on such a sunny day. But she was damn sure he would hurt, and right now, she wanted to hurt someone. The simmering fury churning her gut surprised her and she shut her murderous thoughts off with spine-tingling effort. What the hell was Lucas doing here, and what gave him the right to look at her like that?
Still reeling from Ion’s grudging admission that his wolf had chosen her as his mate and her instant excitement, before she had come crashing down at the denial she’d seen in his eyes, she was ill-prepared for dealing with Lucas too. Marnie flinched when his cool fingers traced her neck, where Ion’s warm hands had caressed her moments before. She batted away his hand with a low growl, which caused an answering snarl in Lucas’ wolf escort.
“You’re right, Ion; she would make a pretty wolf. Too bad you can’t bring yourself to claim her.”
He simply smiled and ducked the slap intended for his face. “Ah, so passionate, mon chere. Tell me, Ion, was she this good for your wolf?”
“Shut the fuck up, Lucas. I told you to wait.”
“So you did, but you know me. I’m an impatient man and as sweet as this pouring out of your anguished soul has been to witness, there is only so much of your noble crap that I can take. We need to get to the real issues here, and…you haven’t told her, have you?”
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