by Clare Atling
Third Rank
Penn Lake Wolves Book Three
By Clare Atling
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination.
Third Rank
Copyright © by Clare Atling
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.
Dedications
To my wonderful mum who just gives me support and love unconditionally.
Xxxx
Chapter One
Maggie had never seen such a beautiful sight. Even in the books she had read as a child, nothing could prepare her for the first glance of her new friend Sarah walking towards her soul mate, Seth. It was her wedding day, finally. After having been postponed due to her best friend Callie being taken by her old captive, Marcus, she deserved the day to be perfect. Maggie’s eyes shone with tears knowing she had less than six weeks in which to befriend one of the Penn Lake wolves and hand them over to Marcus. If only she could come up with a plan to leave here without any of them getting hurt.
Brandon didn’t take his eyes off Maggie the whole time Sarah walked down the aisle. He made her nervous, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt her – none of these people would, unless they found out she had been sent to spy on them with the intention of luring one away. Seth and Sarah were out of the picture as, judging by the way they were looking at each other, they would be honeymooning the whole six week she was due to be here. Such love and admiration. Why couldn’t she have someone to have and to hold? Her very own day with her prince charming? Because they don’t exist, she told herself.
For Maggie, life had consisted of the one room she had been allowed to live in whilst her mother saw to the needs of the arrogant pig of a man, Marcus. Her mother had brought her painting supplies and books to read and taught her well in the ways of the outside world. She was never allowed to leave the room for fear Marcus or one of his pack would see her. Although she was fully human, she was made aware of human shifters from a young age and learnt everything her mother had told her.
The day Colt, Marcus’s son, had set her free on the side of the road, she knew she wouldn’t make a run for it as she was terrified of a world she had never lived in and her mission gave her life a purpose. What she hadn’t counted on was the loving and affectionate way this pack cared for each other. The alpha, Seth, and his mate Sarah were getting married amongst the beautiful tree-lined shore of their island with their friends and family looking on as they declared their love for each other.
Maggie swept away another tear that ran down her face and was grateful others were also shedding tears, as they would simply think she was crying at the wonderful scene before her. She was a horrible person to have to involve herself in their lives and report back to Marcus – or, even worse, the mole he had planted here on the island. They had not made themselves known to her yet, but she tried to keep her wits about her. When she looked up again, Brandon was still staring at her; this time, however, he had a smile on his face, so she smiled back hoping he, too, would mistake the tears for those of joy.
‘You okay?’ he mouthed to her, but all she could do was nod her head as she looked away from his deep, brown eyes.
He was the one who’d been the most patient with her whilst she had adjusted to life on the island. She had been living with his sister, Hope, as Callie was living with Logan full-time now. Almost every night Brandon turned up with some excuse to see her. At first, she thought it was because he didn’t trust her; but, after the first few days, she started to warm to him and enjoyed their evening ritual.
Some nights it was just a film and food, while other nights they walked along the banks of the lake and he told her all about the stars. She relished the freedom after spending most of her life locked away, with only the window in the small bedroom through which to view the stars.
Her heart sank when she thought of what Brandon would think of her once he found out she wasn’t who she appeared to be. She had told him that she and her family had been camping and were set on by wolves. She was the only one to survive and had made it across the water and through their woods to find help. A few of the Penn Lake pack went to search the area she had mentioned, but she knew they would come back empty-handed. She also told them she had nothing to go back for, which wasn’t a lie. Marcus had killed her mother before he had given her this task. Although she would miss her mother, she couldn’t pretend that she’d loved her. She would never forgive her for the years she kept her trapped, never once trying to escape and be free and living a life with people like the Penn Lake pack.
She was jolted from her thoughts when she heard whistling and clapping and realised the ceremony had come to the end. Sarah and Seth were still kissing when the guests began to make their way to the party at the local bar down by the marina. When she looked across to Brandon, she saw he was walking directly to her. His eyes never left hers. God, he is handsome, she thought, hoping she wouldn’t sigh out loud and swoon like in her books.
He was taller than her by a foot and had muscles built from the hard labour of their building business. His eyes sparkled a deep brown behind his glasses, which he usually only wore to work. Today, he had left them on and looked so hot walking towards her in his black suit. She hoped her tongue would unstick from the roof of her dry mouth when he arrived so she could speak. Her nerves were on high alert tonight as she knew she should have let Marcus know about the wedding, but she just couldn’t bring herself to tell him. These people had accepted her into their lives with open arms and how would she repay them? By ripping their family and pack apart and handing them over to Marcus.
‘Hey, Maggie. Whilst my brother tries to swallow his mate, would you like to get a drink with me?’ She had never seen Brandon nervous before, but the slight blush on his cheek was cute and, although his closeness always made her cautious, she didn’t want to be afraid of him.
‘Okay. I’m pretty sure we won’t be seeing them at the marina for a while.’ Brandon laughed, which made her laugh as well. He held out his hand for her to take as they followed the others to the bar.
Brandon couldn’t believe how sexy Maggie looked. She was wearing one of Sarah’s dresses, which clung to her perfect curves like it was made for her, and she had pulled her hair into some sexy up-do with wisps coming down. She looked so graceful and beautiful that he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have found her for a mate. His wolf wanted her every time he saw her, but he knew she was nervous around him; any sudden movement and she would cower. He put it down to the fact that wolves had attacked and killed her family, but he was going to show her that not all wolves were something from a horror film. He would take his time and woo her slowly, make her come to him if need be.
Her hand in his sent shock waves up his arm and across his chest. How he was going to dance with her without embarrassing himself he didn’t know. Once inside, they sat at a table right by the dance floor big enough for his whole family to join them. Callie practically threw herself next to Maggie, whilst Brandon sat the other side.
‘Logan's gone to get some drinks.’ Callie and Maggie seemed to hit it off. Maybe it was because Callie had lost her parents, too, but Maggie had seemed more comfortable around her than the other females in the pack. ‘If I wasn’t mated to Logan I could watch that hot ass dance all night.’ Callie nudge Maggie’s arm and indicated to her friend Alex, who was dancing with another female wolf.
‘Do
n’t let Logan hear you say that…’ began Brandon. However, just before he could describe what Logan would do, his older brother walked up and placed a tray of drinks down on the table.
‘Hear Logan say what?’ he asked, looking suspiciously at Callie.
‘Callie here was just telling us what a hot ass Alex has.’ Brandon winked at Callie as her face grew red with embarrassment and anger.
‘I was merely pointing him out for Maggie,’ Callie shot back at Brandon, knowing it would piss him off.
‘Well, you shouldn’t be looking at Alex’s ass, either way,’ replied Brandon. ‘Logan, can’t you control her better?’ Brandon was pissed off, but made sure he smiled while making his last comment as he knew Logan would tear him to strips if he insulted his mate for real.
‘Yeah, right. It’s Callie who controls me,’ said Logan, placing a kiss on her lips before swinging her up into his arms. ‘Dance with me, beautiful?’
Brandon wished he had the courage to sweep Maggie up like that, as if they had been doing it for years. Logan and Callie hadn’t started off on the best terms but, looking at how in love his brother was, he couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect for him than Callie.
‘For a big man, he moves so gracefully,’ commented Maggie. Brandon growled, knowing she was watching his brother. Humans didn’t have the same mating urges wolves had and, sometimes, he wondered if Maggie would ever fall for him. ‘Did you just growl at me?’
‘Sorry, Maggie. Just that my wolf is uncomfortable with you watching my brother.’ Maggie lowered her head and Brandon felt like a first-class prick. ‘Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it, just that I like you. Really like you, and I hope you kind of like me too.’ Shit, he sounded like an idiot who had never spoken to a woman before.
Just then, his father and mother sat down across from them.
‘Just ignore him, Maggie. All my boys seem to revert back to cavemen whenever they see a pretty lady.’ His dad wrapped his mum up in a hug and kissed her lips. ‘Today was a perfect day. The first of my sons married to a perfect alpha female. Wonder who will be next?’ He winked in Brandon’s direction.
‘Hush you now, Christopher,’ said Mary, his wife. ‘Let the boy be. Do you want us to move, Brandon?’ He loved both his parents so much, but at this particular moment he would love nothing more than for them to go and find their own table.
‘No, that’s fine,’ he replied. ‘I was thinking of asking Maggie to dance, anyway. How about it?’ He stood up and held his hand out for her once more to join him on the dance floor. Please don’t say no in front of my parents, he thought to himself. He would be mortified if she turned him down now.
‘I’d love to.’ Her smile warmed him straight through to his heart. God, he loved this woman and wished he could take her home and show her how much. Slowly, he thought, reminding himself she had just lost her family in a wolf attack.
He led her on to the floor, away from Alex and Logan, so he could have her to himself for a while. He placed his hand on her hip and let his other hand thread through her fingers. She automatically placed her hand on his shoulder and, as much as he wanted to haul her closer to his body, he could feel the tension running from her. As pack omega, he could feel the emotions of others; however, because she wasn’t pack, he had to guess what she was feeling. This time, though, her body was rigid and her eyes were like big brown saucers looking up at him.
‘Maggie, you okay?’ He didn’t want anything to worry her. He would protect her from everything, in including the wolves who took her family.
‘Umm,’ began Maggie. ‘It’s just that I’ve... well... I’ve never danced with anyone before.’ She lowered her head as she so often did when she thought he would be anger with her. He placed his finger under her chin to make her look at him.
‘Maggie. I’ve got you. I won’t let you tumble, okay? I like the fact that you’ve never danced with anyone before. It’ll be the first of many things we can do together.’ Shit, had he said that out load? Now he sounded like he was going to drag her home and fuck her over the nearest surface. Oh boy, why did he have to think that? He now had a hard-on on the dance floor with Maggie in his arms. Looking down at her, he saw the blush across her face and neck. ‘Maggie, I didn’t mean anything like that…’
‘It’s okay, Brandon,’ she said. ‘I know what you meant and it’s fine. Show me how to dance – although I can’t promise I won’t tread on your toes every now and then.’ Her smile lit him up inside. He would make her smile every day for the rest of their lives. He loved having her in his arms so much.
Brandon taught her a few moves as they danced to a few songs. When Sarah and Seth finally made it onto the dance floor for their first dance as Mr and Mrs Penn, they stood and watched. Brandon still held Maggie in his arms and rested his head on top of hers. Whether she knew she was doing it or not, she stroked her hand up and down his arm, her fingers lightly brushing the hair, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Her scent of lavender and roses was so natural to him now that he could follow it anywhere.
They watched the newlyweds dance around the floor as they happily smiled at each other. Although they were not going away on an official honeymoon, due to all the trouble they’d had these last few weeks with Marcus and his pack, they were going to remain on the island undisturbed for a while. Brandon felt sorry for anyone who would interrupt Seth on their honeymoon with pack business. Logan and their father would step in for him for now until he had sated himself with Sarah.
‘Someday, I want what they have,’ he heard Maggie’s soft confession. He took his chance and kissed the top of her head.
‘Me too, Maggie.’ Brandon thought, for the first time since Maggie had entered his life, that they could have what his brother and new sister-in-law had. ‘Come on, one more dance, then we’ll get something to drink.’ He whirled her onto the dance floor with the other couples, who were joining the married couple in a slow song.
Chapter Two
Maggie’s feet were sore from the shoes that Sarah had loaned her to go with the dress. She wasn’t used to any sort of heels, but loved the way they made her feel. However, she had to admit it was the attention Brandon was giving her that was making her feel as though she were the most beautiful person in the room. Callie was sitting watching Logan dance with his mother, whist their dad danced with Hope.
‘You made such beautiful bridesmaids, you and Hope.’ Maggie had hit it off with Callie from the start. She was down to earth and made her feel like an equal. Sarah made her feel on edge because of her being the alpha female of the pack, while Hope had kept her distance during the two weeks she had been here, even though they shared a house.
‘I’m just glad Sarah didn’t make us wear anything too outrageous,’ replied Callie. ‘Would you mind if I had a dance with Brandon? I mean, it will probably only last two seconds once Logan sees… But, if you don’t mind?’
‘Of course I don’t mind,’ said Maggie in surprise. ‘After all these cocktails I think I need to hit the ladies room, anyway.’ Just as Brandon returned from the bar with their drinks, Maggie smiled at him and walked towards the back of the room to the ladies.
‘Right,’ said Callie. ‘You and me are having one dance before Logan decides I can’t put my hands on another man.’ She took a sip of her wine and held her hand out for Brandon to follow.
‘Great! Just what I need is a pissed-off Logan on my back.’ Brandon wouldn’t ever deny Callie anything. He thought of her as a sister and loved her like one, too. ‘Anything for you, though, Callie.’ He pulled her in tight, deciding that if he was going to get pummelled by his big brother then he might as well enjoy the rewards first. Callie just laughed.
‘I’ll protect you. Plus, once Maggie’s back she’s all yours.’
Meanwhile, Maggie had turned back to watch Brandon dance with Callie. She looked so perfect in his arms that, if she hadn’t known her and Logan were mated, she would say Brandon was her mate. Her heart sank a little, thinking of Brandon mated to someone
else. She could never feel the mating urge, but she felt a strong connection to Brandon. But when he found out she had lied to him, he would never want her. That thought made her sad. Maybe, after it was all finished, she could make him see that she was worth fighting for.
She walked to the back of the room and down the corridor away from the crowd but as she reached the door to the ladies, she was grabbed hard by her arm and dragged outside. Before she could scream, a large hand covered her mouth.
‘Don’t make a sound,’ the man hissed. ‘Last thing I want is all those brothers come running out to save you.’ She felt the tears burning her eyes and she waited for the man she recognised as Seth’s friend, Greg, to tell her why he had pulled her from the bar. ‘Marcus told me to tell you that you have six weeks left to bring him one of the brothers. I’ll be watching you closely for any signs of you trying to run or ask for help from them pricks. Any time I see you doing something I don’t like, I may decide to pay you a visit.’ He licked his tongue up and down the side of her face, almost making her gag.
He released her mouth, but held her chin tightly in his hand. ‘Remember, I’m always watching you, so one word that I’m helping Marcus and you’ll be sent straight back to your old accommodation – and I’m sure Marcus will let us have a go once he’s finished with you.’ Maggie shook with fear. ‘Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’re smooching up to Brandon, who wants to mate you,’ Greg continued. ‘He usually nails anything around, worse than any of the brothers, so don’t think you’re anything special.’
‘I don’t believe you. Why would you hurt your friends?’ Maggie didn’t want to hear about Brandon and other women. She felt sick enough already.
‘Why? Because these bastards have been ruling this pack for years, and what Marcus can give me is better than what that bunch of self-righteous pricks can. He picked me because he knew his own son wouldn’t be strong enough when he took over this pack.’ He spun her around and pressed her against the wall. Maggie felt the breath being crushed out of her. ‘Six weeks, Maggie, and not a word to anyone. You understand me? Marcus doesn’t like to be disappointed.’ With that, he swung open the door and pushed her back into the bar and walked towards his friends like nothing had happened.