Since Natasha had arrived at Safe Mountain, Brittany and her younger sister had been inseparable and even though they always included Romy in their conversations, in recent weeks, she’d felt like a third wheel. She blamed her growing angst on an unsettling desire, one Brittany enjoyed with her mate, Max. They shared an electric chemistry, a true physical and psychological connection that even mere strangers would notice.
“Where you off to, gorgeous?” Brice, one of Max’s closest friends, grabbed Romy’s wrist before she trod down the Hall of Pleasure, a nickname given to the main bedroom wing.
She stalled long enough to concentrate. She waited, hoped even, that the electrical charge some of the mates had described would suddenly zip through her body and leave her totally and utterly committed and in love.
Her gaze met Brice’s.
As if he understood, he shot her a wink. “It’s not me, sunshine.”
“How’d you—”
“You think you’re the first female to wonder around here dazed and confused on the day of a claiming?” He laughed and his laughter was toxic rather than intoxicating.
Romy gasped then, trying to catch her breath and desperately in need of fresh air.
“There’s something wrong.” She flattened her hand against the carpet-covered upper wall.
“Brice, I need help.” Her throat constricted. Her head spun.
She stumbled a time or two, vaguely aware of Brice standing behind her, gripping her upper arms in an effort to steady her. A few club members passed. Their faces were in a haze, a fog so thick she couldn’t make out their expressions.
Were they making fun of her? Did she hear laughter in the distance? Why wasn’t someone stopping to help her?
As a frantic whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind, Romy experienced what she’d heard described as a storm system of emotions. Her heart broke for the family she’d left behind. An only child, Romy had tried to reassure her father in the days leading up to her confirmation. Her father had told her she’d be marked if the doctors confirmed her innocence, but she’d never paid much attention to that heartache in his eyes. Now she felt his excruciating pain. She thought of her mother, of the emptiness she must’ve felt when she realized Romy hadn’t just left. The girl they’d raised was gone forever.
She stumbled to the end of the hall and had just started to turn back when two large hands landed on her shoulders. The touch not only helped her maintain some semblance of balance.
The touch centered her.
Romy’s entire body responded and she didn’t have to face him to know whose hands were caressing her, whose presence wrapped around her like a warm blanket, soothing and consoling her. She’d heard the other mated women describe how they’d felt when they first realized they belonged to one of the guys.
In some ways, she’d suspected from the moment he’d lurched forward and taken his wolf form right there in the middle of the dining hall. Chuck Hayes didn’t lose his cool. He was a dangerously calm man, but when she’d strutted by him, she’d noticed his body stiffen. His entire demeanor had changed.
Seconds later, chaos had erupted. As if it were the eve of pandemonium, the room had fallen quiet after the storm. Everyone in the room had focused on Romy as Molly had hurled her accusation to the crowd.
She’d yelled, “Don’t look at me like I caused this. He knows who his mate is!”
Blinking away thoughts of the previous moments in the dining hall, Romy pulled away from Chuck’s grip so she could look at him. “It’s me. I’m your mate.”
Chuck slipped his arm around her waist and brought her to him once more. “Are you disappointed?”
Her mouth dried. Her heart clamored away with uneven beats.
“How could I be?” How indeed? Chuck wasn’t just the MC’s president. He was an enormous man with god-like features. Strong and well defined, his limbs were as sturdy as trunks. His high cheekbones, long slender nose, and dimpled chin made him male-model perfect, but those natural dimples gave him a softer appeal, something she’d never noticed until then.
Itching to touch him, she combed her fingers through his dark brown hair, admiring the loose curls resting on the backs of her hands.
Chuck grabbed her wrists then. “I didn’t say you could touch me, Romy.”
Shuddering, Romy pulled free of his grip, careful to make sure her actions weren’t perceived as defiance. She’d watched the others with their more dominant men. Laurel had explained what some of them expected, particularly those with positions of power or authority within the MC.
Bowing her head, Romy kept her eyes downcast and whispered, “I’ll do whatever I can to please you.”
Chuck brought her knuckles to his lips. “That’s good to hear, because we have a little matter we need to resolve before you and I can be together.”
With complete understanding, she slowly lifted her gaze and caught the look of lust filling her future lover’s eyes. “You want me to seduce Molly.” They locked in a knowing exchange. “Is that what you want?”
Silence once again fell upon them like a gavel falling upon a solid surface. The impact of the deafening quiet was enough to provide an answer.
“I don’t like the idea, but it’s necessary.”
“Why?” Wasn’t it every man’s fantasy to have two women in their bed? If he really wanted to watch Molly with Romy, wouldn’t he say so with marked enthusiasm? Wouldn’t the Alpha come rolling to the fore with sharp and sure demands?
A bedroom door slammed in the near distance. Chuck didn’t flinch, and he never averted his gaze. Romy didn’t greet the newcomer. She already knew who stood behind her. She’d caught the other woman’s scent, a mix of floral fragrances like a summer bouquet of lilacs and daisies.
“Necessary or not,” Romy said slowly, “I’ll do it because it’s what you ask me to do.”
“You’ll do me because the very thought of me turns you on.” Molly’s voice was wrought with humor.
Chuck’s nostrils flared, but he remained stoic.
Remembering what her father had once told her about the MC’s sources, the men and women who often provided much needed information, Romy glanced over her shoulder. Forcing a smile and rapidly coming to terms with how she would soon lose her innocence, she said, “Yes, Molly. That too.”
Chapter Three
For the last ten years, Chuck had dreamt of meeting his mate. When he’d first summoned the Sins of Wolves to help him with his mission, he’d abandoned his romanticized ideas of finding a life partner and focused on helping others. Saving young women from the torrid future the new governing order had inflicted upon them had been more than just a common goal he shared with the MC. It had been his life’s purpose. By saving those girls, those young women, he’d developed strong objectives. He’d become very influential.
He mattered.
Now, he stood in his bedroom waiting on two lovers, understanding he would soon be controlled by a gal who would not only rob him of his first moments alone with his mate, but would also worm her way into their sacred bed. The MC had given Molly far too much power.
Propping his left elbow on his right forearm, Chuck stroked his chin, distantly aware of his facial stubble and quite in touch with the fact he wasn’t alone.
“Chuck, you’ll regret this.” Mama’s voice of reason filled the room. “If you let Molly have her way with your mate before you’ve even claimed her, you’ll never escape the superficial binds she places on you and the relationship you’re about to build with the woman who’ll stand beside you, not just as your old lady, but also as this pack’s Alpha female.”
Laurel’s warning inspired a thought. Clearing his throat, he said, “This has to happen.”
“Why? Because of some perverse need you have to see another person with your mate?”
“No.” He turned away from the window and glared at the club’s sheep, the woman who had taken special care of the entire club. His mate would soon enter his bedroom, prepared to surrender and e
ager to do whatever he would require of her and he didn’t need Laurel’s approval or her blessing. “I need Romy to do this.”
“Explain that to me.” Laurel grabbed his arm. “Molly is holding something over your head.” She dug her fingernails into his flesh. “What is it?”
Chuck snarled at their connection. This close to a first mating with his chosen one, Chuck didn’t want another woman touching him.
“Don’t you dare bare those teeth at me, wolf.” Mama took her stance. “If you think I’m afraid of that restless animal inside you, you’ve underestimated me.”
Mama was definitely an Alpha female. He suspected Romy of the same and if his suspicions were right, he’d learn more about her in this setting than in any other.
Engaging in an inner debate, he quickly decided to take Mama into his confidences if for no other reason than to allow her the time she’d need to come to terms with Molly’s predetermined fate. “Molly isn’t who you think she is.”
“Go on.” Mama locked the bedroom door and stood in front of it with her hands tucked behind her hips. “And don’t keep looking at me like that. I’m not here to try and comfort you. If anyone should know how well I adapt when one of you finds your mate, it’s you. I’ve cried on your shoulder plenty of times.”
Indeed she had.
As the club’s sheep, Mama put duty before her own desires. She was available to all of them, regardless of their collective or independent needs, but she’d always had her favorites. The female inside her rarely reared her head, but when she did, she typically stood beside the men she favored most. Chuck had been one of her favorites in and out of bed. They were friends.
She’d often been his confidant, but he’d always guarded Molly’s secrets.
Mama was dangerous when provoked, but Molly was deadly. Worse still, she could wreak havoc on an entire club and the universal cause the Sins of Wolves had sworn to protect.
Chuck reached in his hip pocket and pulled out his wallet and motorcycle key. Tossing them to the dresser, he took a seat on the leather chair next to his bed. Tugging off one boot and then the other, he said, “Molly has connections.”
“I got that much, sugar.” She took a deep breath and studied his face as if willing him to go on. “All right. So she knows people. What kind of damage can her people do to our people?”
“Enough.”
“Be specific.”
“She can lead them to Safe Mountain.”
“She knows how to get in here?” Mama looked betrayed. “Even I don’t know how to get in and out of here!”
“Molly does.”
“And whose brilliant decision was that?” Accusation was strewn through her voice.
“Don’t answer that.”
I believe Romy can handle Molly.”
“You’re taking a big gamble there, sugar.”
“It’s the only play I can make now.”
“You’re putting a lot on the line. Are you willing to risk the future you can have with your mate for one night of twisted pleasure with that wicked bitch?”
“Yeah, I am.” In fact, he’d already made up his mind.
“Tell me what she has on you, Chuck.”
“She can lead our enemies here and that’s just the start.”
“And which enemy are you referencing exactly?”
“Her estranged husband is Senator Brighton.”
“What?” The staggering news hit her like an obvious blow to the face. She covered her mouth for a minute. “How can that be?” She dropped her arms to her sides and raised her voice.
“How could you let this happen?” ”
“It’s complicated.”
“What the hell were you thinking, Chuck?” Pure accusation existed in her voice.
“None of us knew until it was too late.”
“Who told you? Molly?”
“We put the pieces together ourselves. Brice mentioned she was bullying some of the younger women. Rebecca came to me and complained. She said Molly threatened her and told her that even if she belonged to me, she’d never enjoy a happy-ever-after because she’d kill Rebecca first.”
“This explains why Rebecca refuses to leave her room.” Laurel frowned. “I ought to kill her myself.”
Laurel and Rebecca were extremely close.
“It isn’t your place.”
“You’ve been fucking her on a regular basis. Obviously, you don’t know your place.”
“Watch it.”
“Chuck think about this. It isn’t safe to put Romy in the same bed with Molly after that kind of threat is out there. Everyone here thought Rebecca was destined to be your mate. Even Molly believed Rebecca was the one. If she threatened Rebecca, what do you think she’ll do to Romy?”
Chuck considered the possible outcome and reminded himself of Molly’s earlier request.
She’d never asked him to bring another woman into their bed, but she’d specifically asked if Romy could join them.
When Chuck didn’t respond, Laurel asked, “How do you know about the Senator?”
“I put Levi and Duke on Molly. We kept surveillance on her while we had time to do a background check.”
“And you came up with Senator Brighton, the very man who started trafficking our country’s young women?” She stalked him. “Brighton is the one who started The Enchantment Movement across the globe. He’s the reason people like you and me are slaughtered for harboring these people in safe havens in order to keep them from being transported. What the hell were you thinking?”
“We didn’t know who she was!”
The door slammed against the back wall, and Romy entered. “Don’t look surprised. You knew I was eavesdropping. You sensed my presence.”
“It’s the only way.”
“Yes.” She frowned. “But even though you know who Molly is, you still want me to go to bed with her.”
“You’re agreeing with him?” Laurel’s high soprano voice pitched an octave higher.
Romy shot Chuck a heated glance. “Sometimes you have to get in bed with the devil before you can raise a little hell.”
Chapter Four
“You’re as crazy as he is,” Laurel said before she stormed out of the room.
Chuck wasn’t sure what was keeping the woman with the power to destroy them, but he had a feeling Romy might. “Where’s Molly?” He also had a feeling Romy wasn’t as naïve as her experience in the bedroom might otherwise suggest.
“Do you care?”
“I asked you a question.”
“And I asked you one right back.”
Chuck was amused but determined to hold his own. He had met his equal, his match, and his heart swelled with pride. His prick followed suit, but for a completely different reason.
The damn woman was sexy as hell. Her quiet confidence came as a surprise, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Romy Nichole had always been this sure of herself or if the knowledge of who she belonged to had brought with it a certain amount of enhanced self-assurance.
She smiled at him then and her eyes danced with mischief. She didn’t act nervous as he circled her. If anything, she stood there quietly as if she’d fully intended to remain at the center of attention.
She and Molly at least had that much in common.
For a woman who had yet to part her legs and welcome a man between them, Romy had sex appeal down to an art. Chuck dragged his fingers down the front flaps of her silk robe. “Did you choose this for me?”
“Laurel loaned it to me,” she replied, lowering her gaze in an obedient gesture.
He felt his lips twitch as he dragged his knuckles across her full breasts, enjoying the instant rise of her beaded nipples as his caress aroused her. She seemed to dismiss her body’s reaction to his touch. There was a fine line between arrogance and confidence, and Chuck knew how to tell the difference.
“I thought I recognized this,” he whispered, dragging his fingers back and forth. Over and over again, he toyed and played, circling her nipples
like he’d later loop his tongue around her tender clit. With precision and skill, he drew invisible lines around the extended points, appreciating the well-defined outline of her nipples.
When she didn’t respond or question him about Laurel, he appreciated the woman in front of him all the more. An arrogant woman would’ve shown her hand, perhaps expressed her displeasure or asked questions and demanded answers. Instead, Romy remained steadfast in her confidence, not at all intimidated by the fact that she wore the same robe Chuck had stripped from another female body.
“You surprise me, Romy.” He pulled her against him and looked into those pretty brown eyes, eyes that promised an intimacy like he’d never known before, eyes that would watch when he kissed her, look on when he’d later fuck her.
“When did you know I belonged to you?”
“Sir,” he rasped. Hard as steel, he freed his inner Dom.
He’d never allowed any woman to postpone their training, yet here he was with Romy, wanting her to challenge him, willing her to defy him.
He’d love it. No. He’d love it and he’d hate it all at the same time.
“Well isn’t this special.” Molly entered the room as if she’d been invited.
“Damn right it is.” Romy turned away from Chuck. She sashayed her hips like she was working those little honeys for a whole lot of money.
To his surprise, she reached around Molly’s curvy body and slammed the door. She took great pains in locking it. Then, as if her sole purpose was to add another few inches to his straining cock, she backed Molly against the wall.
“So is this what you want, precious?” Molly taunted Romy by tilting her head right to left. She was mocking her.
And Romy damn well knew it.
Romy gave as well as she took, at least in the beginning.
Built like a Barbie, Molly jerked her shirt open as if she had a death wish, a need to free some sort of inner demon. She wanted to fuck Chuck’s mate, and she wanted him to watch. More than anything else, she wanted him to know that his mate was excited, turned on.
There wasn’t a doubt in his mind there.
Romy moistened her lips as soon as Molly showed off her pretty red bra. Thank God she hesitated. If she hadn’t paused for a few seconds, Chuck would’ve grieved over her hunger for another, her obvious excitement, that sexual energy he could now sense, absorb as his own.
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