by T. A. Grey
THE SILENT PRINCESS
A MacKellen Alphas Novel
Book 2
T. A. Grey
WARNING: The content in this book contains explicit sexual content. This book is intended for mature audiences only. It contains sexually explicit scenes that may be offensive. Please keep your file in a safe area on your computer and away from minors.
This book is not transferable. If it is sold, shared, or given away it is infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This book is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and scenarios are solely the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, though references to actual events or locations may be real.
Any trademarks mentioned herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks used are specifically in a descriptive capacity.
Cover design by: Hallie Chandler
The Silent Princess (The MacKellen Alphas) ©Grey Ink Press, March 2015
T. A. Grey
www.tagrey.com
All Rights Reserved
Also by T. A. Grey
THE KATEGAN ALPHAS
Breeding Cycle
Dark Awakening
Wicked Surrender
Eternal Temptation
Dark Seduction
Tempting Whispers
THE BELLUM SISTERS SERIES
Chains of Frost
Bonds of Fire
Ties That Bind
The Fallen King
THE UNTOUCHABLES
Take Me
Tempting Gray
THE MacKELLEN ALPHAS
The Loneliest Alpha
The Silent Princess
STANDALONE WORKS
Capturing Jeron
Jace
Hunted
Midnight Sex Shop
Ecstasy Overload
The Vampire’s Mate
Acknowledgments
To my readers for taking a chance on me;
And to my husband for loving me
Chapter ONE
Tom’s warm breath tickled her neck as he buried his face against her shoulder, exhausted from a bout of heated lovemaking. A warm smile curled Hanna MacKellen’s lips as she stroked her mate’s sweat-slicked back. Amazing how you never really new how much you missed something until it was gone.
“Damn, baby, you were wild.”
Hanna chuckled, nearly bursting with joy. Tom rolled off her, his pale chest heaving in the dim light. “It’s the lingerie Alicia gave me.”
He smiled up at the ceiling. “Damn right, you’ll have to get some more of that from her.” He checked the alarm clock and cursed, bounding out of bed. “Gotta get to work or else I’m gonna be late.”
“Okay.” Leaning over, he pressed a chaste kiss to her temple then headed for the shower.
Hanna rested in the afterglow, or semi-afterglow as it was, feeling both elated and confused. On one hand, she’d never felt better. Tom hadn’t had sex with her in a long, long time. More than a year ago. She’d been nervous that she might have forgotten ‘how’ to do it when she finally took him to bed last night. And then again this morning.
She hadn’t realized how much she missed holding a man in her arms, feeling their bodies touching, kissing, and enjoying all the sensations that happened. It almost hurt it felt so good. Of course, she understood part of that pain came from the emotional impact of what was happening, of how much trust she was putting back into Tom. Her mate who’d cheated on her.
Please don’t hurt me this time.
Against the criticisms her sister Kaity and best friend Alicia had given her, she’d taken Tom back. This would be the last time. To which Kaity had replied: you’ve said that so many times already. Well, this time she meant it.
She and Tom had been mated for five years. They were coming up on their sixth anniversary in a few months. And while the pain of knowing he’d cheated on her felt like her heart had been ripped open again and again, she wasn’t a quitter. And that was part of the problem. She had that MacKellen determination, both admired and loathed, in spades. She wasn’t someone who to throw a marriage away. Marriage meant hard work and she was ready to play her part, and finally, Tom was too.
They’d been “dating” for two months. That’s how she wanted to do this mating thing until they got back on the right path, and he’d agreed. He would do anything to have her back. His words, not hers. So he wasn’t allowed back in the house, though he still had his keys, and they were working on things by dating first. Last night, after a particularly sweet romantic dinner and a long chat on the living room sofa, she’d invited him upstairs.
Hanna’s brother and alpha to the pack, Gavin MacKellen, had mated an incredibly talented lingerie designer named Alicia Clarkson. Hanna found herself instantly drawn to the creative, feisty spirit of Alicia. Alicia gave Hanna a sexy little number, hand-made and designed just for her, and for the first time last night, she wore it. Tom had been wild, all over her. The sex had been frantic and hot...and a little empty on her part. He’d apologized after finishing early, grinning and saying that the damn lingerie had been the reason. Hanna didn’t care that she didn’t climax because her mate was back in her bed, wrapped in her arms like he once had been. She felt safe and comfortable for the first time in so long.
They fell asleep that way and when she woke up, he was touching her, making her feel warm and anxious until he finally entered her and did it all over again. Even without the lingerie, he finished early leaving her throbbing between her legs.
That was fine though. It was. Sex could always be worked on. After all, they hadn’t been together in so long it would take a few tries before they got back into the hang of it. Now that she looked forward to. She hadn’t had an orgasm that wasn’t self-made in over a year. And she was definitely a woman who wanted her pleasure.
Tom returned from his shower, smiling from ear to ear. “Can’t tell you how much I missed that bathroom. Great showerhead. It’s gonna be good to be back under it.”
Hanna’s smile slipped but Tom didn’t notice as he started pulling on his clothes.
“Gonna have to get my clothes back here too. Can’t be wearing yesterday’s clothes, am I right?” He laughed. She, however, did not, feeling a ripple of unease.
Hanna sat up. “What are you talking about?”
He faced her, grin slipping. “Now I’m confused. What are you talking about?”
“You’re talking as if you’re moving back in.”
His eyes lost all mirth. “You’re telling me I’m not?”
Hanna gripped the covers across her naked body. “No, I’m not ready for that.”
“I just fucked you. Twice. If that doesn’t get me a pass back home, then what does?” He was starting to get angry. God, she hated it when he got angry.
“Last night was a good start, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to have you back in my life like that.”
His jaw slid to the side and he laughed, the sound bitter and angry. He started buttoning his shirt up. “Why don’t you just tell me what I have to do to make you happy so I can do it already? I’m sick of waiting.”
Laughing, the sound hysterical, Hanna stood uncaring of her nudity. “Excuse me, but I wasn’t the one who slept with other people while being married.”
“You just love holding that over my head.”
“But you did it! I took a huge step in letting you back into my life these past few months.”
“And I should what? Be grateful?”
Her mouth dropped open. With some effort, she snapped it closed. “Get out.”
He let out a deep breath as he finished
dressing. After he seemed to get himself under control, he came forward, trying to set his hands on her shoulders but she backed up. His hands dropped.
“Listen, I’m a little frustrated, all right? I want to be back here. Permanently, with you. I miss you, babe. Can’t you see that? I had such a great time with you last night and this morning.” He smiled a little, that sly grin of his that always made her want to smile too. Only this time, she didn’t feel like smiling at all. “I want my woman back and here I had a taste of it and I guess I got excited about it. I just want to be with you.”
His words made guilt settle in. “I’m sorry. Maybe that was kind of out of hand.”
He smiled and pulled her into a big hug, but her arms didn’t quite embrace him back. “I gotta get to work but I’ll call you tonight and we’ll make plans, yeah?”
“Fine.” He kissed her quickly on the mouth and left.
Feeling rejuvenated, even with the hiccup this morning, Hanna showered and got dressed for the day. She had a few chores to take care of.
As she drove into town to do some shopping, her mind strayed to the most unlikely of thoughts. Thoughts of a particular man who intruded on her daily. Well maybe not daily, but far too often for her liking.
“Who are you kidding, Hanna? You think about him all the time,” she muttered.
And that man was Alex Thompson.
The construction worker, the lykaen with mysterious ways, the man with a motorcycle, the dropout, fist-fighting badass, unafraid of anything and more importantly, the man who’d punched Tom in the face. He’d defended her honor like a white knight. After her unsettling argument with Tom this morning, Hanna found herself remembering that confrontation all those months ago. Where she found Tom at a hotel with another woman. She’d already known he was cheating but to hear it through the door and experience it had been a whole other dagger through the heart.
And what had Alex done? Standing with her at the door? He’d punched Tom in the face. A violent, brutal hit that slammed Tom backwards, careening him into a wall and denting it. That particular experience was more fulfilling than her sex with Tom this morning.
Then, there was that whole “shared kiss” thing. Where Alex had stormed into the bar one day and kissed her after their conversation had gotten rather heated. Alex had been angry that she was considering taking Tom back and Hanna was angry because it was none of Alex’s business. Period. That and how could he possibly understand what she was going through? Tom was her mate and she took that seriously.
She could still remember that kiss in vivid detail. Boy did she.
Holy mother...for the rest of her days she didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget that kiss. Months later and she could still recall the taste of his lips (like beer and man), could remember how his mouth felt pressed up against hers (hard and voracious), and most of all, she remembered how he made her feel. With that one kiss, something people share all the time, he’d made her feel like a goddess. Not just any goddess either, but a goddess with sexual power. Like a sexual being made up of tender nerves and electrical impulses. No one had ever kissed her like that. Not even Tom.
Her body had come alive, awakening beneath his touch growing warm and excited. Her body had responded in such a way she couldn’t ever remember happening before--like his touch flipped a switch inside her that triggered all the right responses.
Her thoughts were traitorous, she knew, to think about his kiss while trying to reconcile things with Tom. But, dang, Tom didn’t kiss her like that. Never had. Alex’s kiss had told her a living story--that he wanted to fuck her. That he would fuck her in an instant. Not have sex with her or make love to her, but fuck her hard and dirty. Somehow she didn’t think Alex would let her go unsatisfied in the bedroom. Certainly not twice in a row. He didn’t seem like that kind of man. At all.
Shaking her head at her faithless thoughts, Hanna pulled over at the pack’s florist shop. She wanted to buy a bouquet for Alicia to thank her for the nice lingerie she’d made her.
The young woman behind the counter, a local lykaen woman, though Hanna couldn’t recall her name, smiled at her. “Can I help you with anything?”
“No, just browsing for some bouquets, thank you.”
“We have some lovely new bouquets over in the corner. Perfect for winter time to brighten up a room or to gift for a loved one.”
Smiling, Hanna thanked her and went to check them out. Sure enough, there were some truly lovely arrangements. Big, full bouquets with yellow daisies, pink tulips, and red carnations intermixed with ivy and baby’s breath. She picked the one that made her smile and placed it on the counter.
“I have to have this one, please. It’s so beautiful.”
The woman was also beautiful, Hanna noted. Quite attractive. With an angular face, a thin body that was tall and filled out nicely in ways women and men appreciated. The kind of body that Hanna had always been envious of. Her physique reminded her of the mannequins in clothing stores. Tall, willowy, and lovely. Hanna’s form was more stout, frumpy, and curvy. And not in that particular order.
She rang up the order. “That’ll be forty-four dollars and seventy-five cents.”
Hanna handed over her credit card.
“I’ll need to see your ID with that.”
“Of course.” Hanna passed it over.
The woman verified the name on the card matched the ID and that’s when Hanna’s bright morning came to a crashing halt.
“Hanna Bower?” the woman questioned oddly.
“Yes.” She’d taken her mate’s name when they were married at their bonding ceremony.
The woman paled and wouldn’t look at her. With shaking fingers, she swiped the card and slid it and the ID back to Hanna as if she could barely stand to touch the plastic.
Hanna’s blood filled with ice. “Is something wrong?”
The woman sent her a fake smile. Their eyes did not meet. “No, not at all.”
Some things a person just knew, and this was one of those moments. Hanna knew. No doubts or questions or second-guesses. She knew this woman had fucked her husband. She could feel it all the way in her numb bones.
“You know Tom Bower? My mate?”
The woman’s eyes flew wide-open, startled. “Who?” Her cheeks blushed bright red.
She was a poor liar.
“My mate, Tom Bower. You know him.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Yet, she wanted to hear the girl say it. To admit it aloud so the whole world could hear her sin.
“I don’t believe I know anyone by that name, ma’am. Here is your receipt. Would you like a bag for your flowers?”
Hanna stared at the woman as ice filled her limbs. Even her voice grew colder. “When? When did you sleep with him?”
The woman swallowed and took a step back, not meeting her gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, ma’am. I’m not seeing anyone.” She laughed, the sound unsteady. “But if you know anyone who’s single, send him my way.” A fake laugh made from false proclamations.
“Listen here, I want to know when you were with my mate.” Hanna’s voice shook with restrained anger.
He said he hadn’t been with anyone since they started reconciling two months ago. If this woman said before that time then Hanna could leave with her heart intact. If she didn’t. Well....
The door chimed as another customer came him. The woman behind the counter couldn’t hide her relief. She wasn’t a good actress. “Hello, Mrs. Baker, how are you today?”
An elderly woman with a cane made her way toward the counter. She had gray hair, walked at a snail’s pace, and had a hunch to her shoulders as if she couldn’t really hold them up anymore. “Cameron, my girl, looking lovely as ever. Do you have any of those white roses ready for me? I’ve been needing some for Harold’s grave I was planning to visit…”
Hanna’s mind switched off. The conversation became background noise. Eventually she turned and left. That woman, Cameron, had slept with Tom. But the question was--w
hen.
Climbing back in her car, Hanna cranked over the engine and tore off down the road. There were no tears, only a hollow ache where here heart should be. And some anger, mostly, at herself. The pain hurt something fierce. Like some ghost squeezing her heart in a tight fist, cutting off the circulation. Turning her numb to pain.
She wanted to call him and ask. That’d be so much easier than asking him in person, but her strict no-phone usage while driving stopped her from that. Or so she told herself. Maybe she did want the confrontation.
In no time at all she arrived at his work, Union Lab Corp where Tom managed the firm’s larger accounts. She worked for the same company, albeit at home as a CPA with a smaller list of clients. Tom had insisted she stay at home to work while he got to have the office job. Now she wondered if it was only so he could hunt women more easily.
She took the elevator up to his floor. Some of the employees gave her a second look. Everyone here was dressed in their finely pressed suits and she wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, not fitting in.
The receptionist, Linda, looked pained as she spotted her. Hanna had only been here a few times and each of those times hadn’t bode well for anyone.
Hanna kept on walking, not bothering to announce her visit.
“Um… Mrs. Bower, please if you’ll wait a moment…”
She didn’t.
At the end of the long, busy hall was Tom’s office. His door had a gold plaque that read: Thomas Bower, Regional Financial Manager, Oregon Division.
The last time she’d visited here, Tom’s door had been locked. Though he hadn’t been doing anything nefarious as she’d suspected. He’d been working with a co-worker and even Hanna knew the woman had been too old and unattractive for Tom to fuck. She’d accused him of locking the door out of habit and he hadn’t denied her claim. And why would a CPA need to lock his office door? Because he was having affairs in there, of course. Maybe it was all just her wild imagination, but it was difficult to trust a known liar.