Rose pressed her lips to his other ear. “We’ve heard all kinds of rumors.”
A growl came from behind him. Yeah, it hadn’t been his imagination. Meg was here, and from the sound of it, pissed. Tad shoved the sisters off and turned to face a small, silver wolf, glaring right through him to the females who thought they could take cover behind him and remain intact if Megan got a mind to hand them their asses. Her hackles stood on end, and her teeth were bared. Shit!
“I can explain, babe.” He stepped forward, and her lips curled back, exposing maximum fang. The urge to cover his balls hit like a freight train. Somehow he resisted, demonstrating he fully trusted her, even when angry. He raised both his hands. “I’m sorry. This isn’t what you’re thinking. I had no plans to do anything with them.”
Another growl rumbled from her throat; accusation shone in her eyes. No, he hadn’t done a damn thing to deserve her ire, so why did he have to explain anything? She’d made it clear she’d moved on and didn’t want him—well, unless she’d lied and hadn’t.
“Do you want to talk now? Is that what this is about?”
She snorted and backed up.
“Damn it, Meg. Give me a chance.”
She looked from Lily to Rose and then at him. Her snarl had fallen, replaced with a soft whine.
“What do you want? I can’t keep playing this game. I’m done chasing you. If you want me, here I am. What’s it going to be?”
She growled.
This time, he wanted to growl right back. Time for her to give chase—give her a taste of her own medicine.
“Let’s grab that beer, ladies. I think we have some catching up to do.” He clutched the sisters’ arms and steered them toward the bar, his palms burning like he’d come into contact with acid, leaving Meg behind him. His wolf snapped and snarled, ready to rip its way out. Furious, he touched the other females when his true mate was only a few steps behind him.
He didn’t want these females—never had.
So why are you doing this, jackass?
I don’t know.
Stop. She. Came. After. You.
Good point.
When he glanced back, Meg was gone. Tad closed his eyes and let go of the women. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re right. We don’t want to be in the middle of whatever you two have going on. Why didn’t you tell us you have a mate?” Lily sniffed and rubbed her arm. “We’re not home wreckers and don’t appreciate that you think you could use us to get at Megan.”
“I know. I’m sorry. That wasn’t right.”
“Damn right it wasn’t.”
Rose pointed at where Megan headed. “If I were you, I’d go grovel, beg, plead, do whatever you have to do to convince her she’s the only wolf for you. I have waited my entire life to have that, and it would be a damn shame to throw away something others can only dream about and never find because you can’t let go of your ego.”
“I’m afraid I burned that bridge five years ago.”
“If you burned that bridge, she wouldn’t have been here, defending what’s hers.”
“Good point,” Lily piped up. “So, why are you standing here talking to us?”
“Go get her, Romeo.” Rose shoved his shoulder.
He didn’t bother to correct her for using the nickname everyone had given him years ago because of his slutting around. Not because he wasn’t “Romeo.” But because he’d found his Juliet, and the way the story went, Romeo only had one true love.
“And don’t screw up again. I think you’re out of bridges,” Lily called out behind him as he started running.
Tad sniffed, catching her scent. Off to the glass house. Fan-fucking-tastic. This time he’d camp out on her step until she gave in and talked to him.
***
Inside Gee’s Bar at the same time….
“Well, I believe Ms. Gray now knows she isn’t done with Tad Dawson. Sometimes you have to see what you could lose to know you still want it,” Miss Lonnie said.
“Kind of like a buttercream cupcake,” Miss Fern said.
Miss Lonnie and Miss Kathy turned to look at her. “What?”
“A cupcake. It is tempting, especially when you are trying to stay away from it.” She shrugged.
Claire nodded next to her. “Pads the hips terribly.”
“Only you would think pastry more appealing than a little one-on-one with a hot male body.” Miss Kathy shook her head.
“Excuse me, but have you two not engaged in food play? If I were forty years younger and not mated, I’d be eating pastries off that wolf’s body.”
“A cupcake?”
“Oh, don’t be silly.” Miss Fern waved her question off. “No. Maybe a doughnut. Why do you think they put holes in them?”
Miss Lonnie screwed up her face. “Like a cock ring? Oh dear, I don’t think it would fit around…maybe a yeast doughnut with a little stretch.”
“I could make them bigger, and cream-filled, you know, for an extra bonus.”
“I think the cock would be bonus enough.”
“Stop!” Miss Kathy snapped. “We have a mission to complete and whether a donut would fit on a dick or not, is not what we came here for. Besides, anyone who has seen a wolf’s penis knows they wouldn’t fit, so why keep blathering on about it?”
Gee coughed from behind the bar.
All four ladies glanced at him before returning their attention to the window.
“Well, you don’t have to be so grumpy about it. I, for one, would like to know, but as you said, we have priorities.” Miss Lonnie lifted up onto her toes, peering out through the glass. “Fern, dear, we can discuss the whole donut thing later.” She pushed the curtain back. “So, what did you give Rose and Lily to get them to play along?”
“I told them there were other single wolves coming for the wedding, and we’d help to set them up,” Miss Kathy said. “They’re clearly tired of the dating pool around here, and with the Dawson brothers and other eligible wolves returning…fresh meat. It’s about time we hear the pitter-patter of little paws around this place. We have a duty to our pack.”
“Indeed we do,” Claire piped up.
“So, on to the next step of Operation Bring Romeo Down?”
“Of course. I didn’t rip all those stitches out of her dress for nothing.”
Chapter Five
Megan studied her reflection in the mirror. She’d never seen herself in a gown like the one she wore. The deep garnet of the gown accentuated her dark hair and pale skin. She turned slightly to the side and smoothed the front down. Tad Dawson is going to swallow his tongue.
She’d had to call Drew to have Tad escorted from her doorstep after he sat out on it half the night, going on with stories about the past, memories she didn’t want to revisit. Now she had a throbbing headache from staying up all night, thinking about him while lying beside the door, hoping he’d come back.
The enforcer got him to leave, much to her disappointment. For all she knew, he’d returned to wherever he’d been before. Now she wanted him to see her in this dress and pant his ever-loving heart out, just so he could see what it felt like for once.
Tierney insisted on doing her hair, even though she was the bride, and lord the woman knew her business. Megan’s dark hair now had spiral curls, partially up, with pearls woven among the strands. Look at her. Elegant. Beautiful.
“You want this, bitch.” Hands ripped her top, and Bruce’s nails gouged her shoulder.
“Let go of me.”
“You’re mine. The alpha gave you to me, and the sooner you realize it, the easier this is going to go.” It hadn’t gone easy at all. The pain. The humiliation.
Her hands began to shake, and she balled them into tight fists at her sides. Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard. None of the others had been as aggressive. A couple of the males had turned and walked out of her cabin, but most limped away. All except Bruce. She’d put him in a permanent coma f
or what he’d done. And why, now of all times, did this memory come to her? She inhaled deep and slowly exhaled, doing everything she could to hold the panic attack at bay.
“You look beautiful.”
Megan jumped. She opened her eyes and stared at the reflection of the last person she wanted to see standing behind her—and the only one. Her heart skipped, and her body warmed. Tad posed a whole different kind of threat, the kind she couldn’t fight or run away from. Lord knew she’d tried. She scowled. “What are you doing here? I thought you left Los Lobos.”
“I came to apologize.”
“For what? Being a dick? Slutting around? Forgetting I exist?”
“All of it, except forgetting you exist. I’m not guilty of that. A day didn’t go by I didn’t think of you.”
“You could have fooled me.” She let her gaze slide from his shoes to his face. “Why are you in a tux?” She had always reacted to Tad like a junkie to a narcotic. Her desire for him went way past craving. Her thighs tightened, and her nipples turned to stone, hard to miss since she couldn’t wear a bra with the gown.
As if on instinct, his gaze dropped right to her breasts and tattle-tale nipples.
No, no, no. Her pussy clenched, and her breath caught. She willed her control to return, but it refused. She needed to redirect her thoughts from what was under that suit to the actual clothing, because lord knew she’d crack if she didn’t. “Why are you dressed up?”
He plucked at his cuff. “I’m the best man.” He grinned, his gaze drifting to her chest again, as though he fully intended to have a conversation with her breasts.
“Up here.” She cleared her throat.
He lifted his chin and stared into her eyes. “You know what that means, right?”
“You get first dibs at the bridal party?” She regretted it the second it left her mouth. She’d sounded so cold and hateful.
“Ouch. Good answer, but I only want one member of the bridal party, and I promise, you are not going to shake free of me at the wedding, so let’s call a truce for now. No sense in battling our way down the aisle.”
She froze. He’ll be the one to escort me down the aisle. She could handle just about anything but him touching her. Oh, that was so not happening. “Shit.”
“Tell me how you really feel.”
Damn, why did he push this? He’d scrambled her brains and made her weak. She’d long since promised herself she’d never be weak again. Never again. She spun around to face him, raising her fists to pound into his chest, and realized her mistake when they were but inches apart. Her body reacted before her brain could stop her. Megan grabbed his lapels instead, holding the fabric in a death grip, pulling him closer.
Humor filled his eyes, and something else lingered there as well. He had, I want you, written all over his face. If the mirror hadn’t been behind her, she’d have taken a step back. Run! He brought on a whole different type of threat than the would-be mates of her past, the kind that could destroy her.
“I need to kiss you, Meg.”
She gave a slight shake of her head, afraid if she said no, he’d go.
“Say yes.” He reached up and stroked her bottom lip with his thumb, cupping her face. “You’re killing me, babe.”
“You really want to go there, Tad? Lose your freedom? I’m not disposable, like the others.” Her heart pounded furiously. Did he think to trick her into sex and then dump her like every other woman he’d been with? She looked deeper. No. If they went there, there would be no going back.
“You have to ask that?” He ran a hand down the side of her face and neck, fisting the hair at her nape but not hard enough to hurt. “You have no idea where I want to go. We’ll start with stripping your dress off and skipping the wedding. How about that?” He slid his finger under the strap on one shoulder, slipping it to the side.
A ball of desire swelled in her belly, blooming through her chest, sending her heart into a frantic beat. “We can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because, your brother and Tierney are counting on us to be at their wedding.”
“I have three other brothers who would be happy to take my place, and one of my many sisters could take yours.”
“Stop.”
“Stop what?” He cocked his head. “Pursuing you? You started this, Meg.”
“We aren’t good together. Never will be.”
But you could be, if you’d give him a chance.
No.
Admit it. You want a piece of that.
Maybe. She licked her lip, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
“You have no idea what we’d be like together. Let me show you.”
“No.” Her grip on his jacket tightened. “I can’t.”
“Then I suggest you release me, or I’m going to kiss you. I can only resist for so long, and you are not giving me a reason to fight it.”
Megan forced her fingers open and rested her flat palms on his chest. Push him, shove him away. All men are the same way.
You know that’s bullshit.
Who asked you?
“You should go.”
“I should.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Please, I can’t do this right now.” She jerked her hands away.
“Why?”
“You don’t know, do you?” How could she tell the one man she wanted that Magnum had forced her to mate with a bastard who’d raped her, had taken what belonged to Tad alone, and she’d been too damn weak to stop him? Yes, she’d given him the beating of his life afterward and didn’t regret it one bit. What would Tad think of her if he knew?
“No. Tell me, Meg. What happened to you?”
“You happened, Tad.” She pushed him to the side and slid past. “And you didn’t, when I needed you most. You weren’t there.”
“No, I wasn’t. But that’s going to change.” He reached out and caught her wrist. “We’re not done. You can run, but, babe, you can’t run forever. I’m coming for you after this wedding, and we’re going to settle this thing between us once and for all. I’m so damn lonely, and I’m sick and tired of it. I want to come home, to you. Every night of my life. I want to wake up and have your face be the first I see. I want to make babies with you here, in Los Lobos. I want to belong to you alone.”
If he knew what she’d done, he might rethink that. She opened her mouth and snapped it shut. Why bother telling him he’d get damaged goods in the deal? A head case. No. She couldn’t. Because then he’d run. Again.
But hadn’t she been the one to order him away in the first place? Really, she shouldn’t be angry at him. All this mess was her doing. And Gee had told her he couldn’t come back. She couldn’t blame him for that.
Megan twisted out of his grip and exited the room to join the other women in the bridal party. Maybe it was time to leave the pack, go out in that big world, and disappear. Damn, why did everything have to be so confusing?
Because you’re in love.
Megan straightened Tierney’s train and took her place ahead of her. She glanced around, looking for Tad. Where had he gone? She hadn’t seen him since an hour before, when he’d stood behind her in the mirror.
Had she driven him away again? She reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose.
Tierney touched her shoulder and leaned forward. “He’s coming.”
“I wasn’t looking for Tad.”
“You were. Admit it. You got it bad for him.”
“He’s a dog.”
“I thought he was a wolf?”
“You know what I mean.”
One of Tad and Felix’s brothers began to play a guitar, their cue to move, except…shit, he’d dodged out of Los Lobos again and left her to pick up the pieces. And she’d all but pushed him out. The flower girl and ring bearer started down the forest path toward the glade. Next, the bridesmaids and groomsmen began to move. Her heart started pounding. She’d look like a fool walking without an escort.
> Tad stepped into place next to her and offered his arm without looking at her. Where had he come from? She glanced at the woods and back at his somewhat crooked tie and flushed face. She eyed his arm and sighed, taking it. “You’re late.” Even through the thick fabric and lining of the tux, she could feel his body heat. Tingles raced up her arm.
“I had something important to do.”
“You mean, someone important to do?”
“Now that’s just cruel.” He frowned. “I went and got a—”
Tierney gave them a push. “Go.”
Megan started to pull away, and Tad grabbed her hand, keeping it on his arm. “Don’t make a scene, my love.”
“I’m not your love.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yeah, you are.” And then he grinned.
Why, that self-righteous prick. Where did he get off thinking she was his love? He couldn’t come back after five years and make a declaration like that.
“Would you two go?” Tierney snapped from behind them. “I’d like to get married sometime today.”
They started walking. Megan pasted a smile on her face, even though she’d like to slap the smug grin right off Tad’s.
“Careful, your indignation is showing,” he whispered.
Well, if it was, it was because of him. She lifted her chin and ignored him. The first chance she had to escape this shindig, she’d take it. No way did she intend to stick around to see what he had to say. She’d given him five years to say what he wanted.
They broke apart before the alpha, taking opposite sides. Megan snuck a quick glance at Tad.
He winked.
She growled.
One of the bridesmaids elbowed her.
Oomph.
Megan’s mouth dropped open. She turned to object and Nalia Dawson, a rebel from the day she was born and youngest of the Dawson family, glared back. “Shhhhh.”
Right. Nalia was the wild one, and yet she’d behaved better than Megan had since she’d gotten here. After Megan found out Tad was the best man, she’d told herself she’d do nothing to mess up Tierney’s wedding, and here she stood, making a scene on her best friend’s big day. Megan wrinkled her nose and looked away. She could ignore him.
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