by Morgan Wylie
“Next order of business: I’d also like to introduce to you Chen, Mai’s brother. He has previously trained under Mai and will continue to do so along with exploring some of his other talents. We welcome you to our family and hope you will consider us as such.” Chen bowed his head in acceptance. His face didn’t show much expression as he sat next to Mai, but his eyes showed he was grateful and hinted at how he wanted to pay back Black Widow for what she had done to not only himself, but also what she put his sister through. Rylen nodded encouragingly. He would get his chance.
“On a different note, Lacy has gone to the dark side, betraying us all and the trust we included her in. She has been banned. You are not to make any attempts to bring her back into the PAC. She is to deal with me alone. Is that understood?” Rylen watched as heads bobbed in agreement, some eyes were wide with surprise, but all understood his final command.
“I believe that is everything for now. Get rest, relax, enjoy each other’s company for no one knows when our last moments will be. Dismissed,” Rylen announced to the entire room. Then to his inner and secondary circles, he called, “Lola, Vi, Mai, Lucius, Gracie, Mather, Enock, Alana, and Poppy… please stay for a moment.”
Poppy’s eyes widened at hearing her name called with the rest of the team. She stepped up next to Mather and laced her fingers in his. He smiled down at her then leaned in and pecked her nose with a tiny kiss. What he really wanted to do would have to wait a little bit longer until they were able to be alone. While they waited up front for everyone else to clear the Throne Room, Gracie made her way to Alana and threw herself around her neck, sobbing and muttering incoherent words.
“Don’t ever do anything like that again!” Gracie had finally gathered herself enough to shout at Alana.
Alana stepped back to look Gracie in the eyes. “Didn’t you know I was going to do it?”
“No. I mean, yes. Well, not really.” Gracie inhaled deeply through her nose, centering her thoughts, then released her breath slowly through her mouth. “I knew you were going to do something, but I had no idea it was on my account. I would have intervened.”
“I think you already had done more than you should have by placing that GPS tracker thingy in my pocket. That was sneaky, and I will always be grateful for it,” Alana said with a smile and embraced Gracie once more. “None of this is your fault. I would have done it with or without your knowledge and for any one of my friends.”
Now, it was Gracie’s turn to smile up at Alana. “We are friends, aren’t we.” It was no longer a question in her mind, but an affirmation.
“Always.”
Rylen and the rest were now watching their interaction with genuine smiles on their faces. “Now that that is taken care of, my scolding will come later tonight.” The intensity on his face told her that there definitely would be hell to pay for her taking off on him, but the smoldering fire in his eyes said it would also come in the most delicious way. The blush raced up her neck as heat flooded her face. He wasn’t usually so naughty in front of everyone. But the snickers around the room allowed everyone to relax, and she reveled in that; they all needed some serious down time.
“Mai, how does your brother seem to be recovering?” Rylen asked, changing directions.
She stepped closer to the group, a smile on her face that conveyed all of her sentiments. “He seems to be adjusting fine. Rylen… I can’t thank you enough for what you did for him, saving him like that”—she looked from Rylen to Alana—“especially when you were needed elsewhere.” Mai looked down momentarily; vulnerability was not her strong suit.
“I was where I needed to be at the exact times, Mai. I made a choice, and I trusted the others to do what needed to be done in my place should the opportunity arise, and they did just that.”
Mai nodded. “Thank you, all of you. My brother is safe. I apologize for the way I acted before, my heart was never truly in my behavior. Alana, to you most specifically, I do hope you can forgive me and that we also could be friends in the future. My task was to sow dissent and try to separate you and Rylen. I’m so sorry.” Unusual for Mai, her eyes would not land on Alana’s, afraid of what she could see.
Without giving her a chance to move, Alana moved quickly and embraced Mai fully in a hug. “Of course, we can. And you can repay me by teaching me some of your ninja moves!” Alana winked at her and moved back to her spot next to Rylen, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. Mai nodded once and offered a small smile to them both.
“This is completely unnecessary and I apologize, Poppy, but simply to get under Mather’s skin, I would like to formally accept you as Mather’s mate and welcome you into the inner circle. Do you accept your position in both respects?” Rylen asked with a slight twinkle in his eye as he heard the grumble from Mather’s chest, irritated that they had been put in the spotlight.
Poppy pursed her lips together in unison with her frown, cocking her head in thought. “Before I accept or reject,” she began but was interrupted by Mather’s jaw dropping as he turned toward her. She held her hand up to him, asking to finish.
Rylen raised a humorful eyebrow in her direction. “Yes?”
“I would like to know if my acceptance into the inner circle is because of the status of the potential mate being already in it,” she asked, ignoring the frown now creasing Mather’s face.
Rylen thoughtfully replied, “No, it is for the very reason you just demonstrated. You are thoughtful and take your position within the PAC very seriously. You have always been one step ahead of me and the team when it comes to our safety out in the field, and you more than showed your capabilities and loyalties out there when you weren’t even trained. So no, Poppy, no matter if you accept or reject this big goon, you have earned your position within this team.”
Poppy smiled slowly. “Thank you. That means more to me than you can know, Rylen. Yes, I accept the position.”
“And to the goon?” Enock asked, his eyes wide with hidden laughter.
“I shouldn’t need to accept him formally. I already have, and he should know that,” she said pointedly in his direction as she teasingly backhanded him across his stomach. Everyone laughed except Mather. Mather grabbed the hand she flung and pulled her into his chest; nose to nose he growled at her then crushed his lips to hers in a punishing yet playful kiss. Hoots and hollers erupted all around them. Breaking away from their kiss, Poppy buried her head in Mather’s chest and inhaled his scent while dying of embarrassment.
“Now that that’s taken care of, we need to talk about what happened.” Rylen sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Please sit, all of you.” He waited for them all to find their seats before he took his, pulling Alana onto his lap and holding her close. He was exhausted but had to get through a little more before he could lose himself in his mate.
“Black Widow has betrayed us, not only that, but she is playing with us. I do not understand the motivation or the extent of this game of hers, nor do I know if she is in league with the Fairfax Alliance or is just using them.” Rylen sighed. He played with Alana’s fingers where they rested on her lap to distract him and also keep him focused at the same time. “She is not responding to my call. I do believe she will, but I think she is regrouping at the moment. I’m sure she was not happy with me taking her minions she left”—he paused in his words and looked to Mai and corrected—“for Mai’s brother.”
Mai gave no reaction to his words; it was the truth, she knew, but she also knew the shifters in the room could hear her heart skip a beat.
Silence stretched across the group, each in thought, troubled by the possibilities and what it could mean.
“So we are on our own in this, aren’t we?” Mather spoke first.
Again silence. Rylen’s gaze focused outside the physical room they were bound to. “Not necessarily. We have allies that stand with us—not just The Web. It might be time to flush them out,” Rylen vocalized, considering his options.
“And what of your brother?” Lucius asked. H
is gaze skirted the top of Gracie’s head, making his way to Rylen. His eyes were fierce and the thoughts in his mind well-guarded.
Rylen considered his question. “Simmon… confounds me with his loyalties. He could be an inside ally if I could trust he wouldn’t turn on us.”
“He helped save me,” Alana pointed out.
“And he seemed to be having a crisis of faith when he was helping us find Alana,” Poppy suggested. “Perhaps if he was pushed at the right time or with the right motivation?”
Alana’s eyes widened as she pulled something from her pants pocket. “I forgot, he gave this to me before my father let me out of my cell. It’s the same parchment and writing as the other letters we received, isn’t it?” She held it out to Rylen who took it gently from her hands. He turned it over several times, held it to his nose, and then held up to the light before he even attempted to open it.
“You didn’t open it?” he inquired.
“No, it wasn’t mine to open. It has your name on it.”
“What’s mine is yours, love. You are an extension of me when I am not present.” He kissed her cheek and smiled. “We will work on that.”
Rylen flicked his forefinger, releasing his panther’s claw from his human hand. Few shifters had the control to transform simple body parts like Rylen and members of his team did. It also served as a great parlor trick, Alana proving that fact with her gasp as she leaned back but laughed at what he had done.
“If you like that, I have other tricks I can show you.” Rylen nuzzled the back of her neck and nibbled on her ear lobe, forgetting the letter and everyone around them. Alana giggled, leaning back into him. That is, until someone cleared their throats, bringing the still-newly-mated couple back to their current reality.
“What does the letter say, boss?” Enock reminded Rylen of what he was doing before he started to devour his mate.
Alana wiggled to move off of Rylen’s lap, but his arm snaked around her tighter. “You’re not going anywhere, love. Especially right now… if you want to keep me respected amidst this bunch.” His words were feather light against her neck, his breath tickling where it trailed.
Rylen sliced open the letter with his sharp claw. Inside he removed, the simple parchment note card. His eyes roved over the letter quickly, then he frowned at the contents.
“What’s it say, Ry?” Mather inquired hesitantly. Rylen passed him the note to read. Mather viewed the contents then looked to the others. “It’s from Simmon. It says he did what was right for Alana but to forget him and move on.”
“He’s made a choice, then,” Enock clarified.
Rylen shook his head. “Why write it at all? He’s acknowledging the other letters were from him—or at least from Fairfax—by sending this one. Poppy can verify whether it’s the same, correct?”
She nodded her head and took the letter from Mather’s hand. She wouldn’t let anyone else handle it, needing all the data she could gather from its original state.
“He could have easily just moved on and not said anything.” Rylen’s eyes were sharp and clear. “He’s reaching out.”
“By saying to stay away?” Lola piped in, biting her lip in confusion.
“Yes!” Rylen hit his fist excitedly on the arm of his throne. Alana jumped. “Sorry, love.” He settled her more securely on his lap before continuing. “This could be good for the future. There’s hope for him, yet.” Rylen smiled. Hope for his little brother bloomed in his chest. He just had to help it grow.
“Anything else we need to cover?” Mather asked, leaning forward from the edge of his seat, obviously anxious to be finished.
“Somewhere you need to be, Mat?” Rylen probed.
“Perhaps somebody you need to do?” Enock slapped his knee, obviously having cracked himself up.
Mather shot a look at Enock accompanied with a growl, telling him he crossed a line. Poppy held him back, a hand gripping his arm. “It’s fine, Mat. I can take it,” she whispered.
“I do apologize, Poppy, that wasn’t fair of me.” Enock bowed his head to her in apology, and Mather sat back, impatiently looking to Rylen to finish the stupid meeting.
Rylen held back a smile, but it was barely restrained as he took in his friend’s welfare. “Almost finished. The only other thing I wanted to ask about was Masia. I have no doubts or reasons as of yet, but, Enock, I am curious how you came to find her. She’s not the usual type to attend Triumph. Do you feel her intentions are pure?”
Enock leaned forward and steepled his hands in front of his mouth. “I’ve thought a lot about it and have evaluated everything she says and how she says it.” He shrugged. “So far, I’m getting nothing but honesty and a true heartbeat.” Enock leaned back in his chair then and crossed an ankle over his other knee. “As for her intentions, they appear to be pure—she truly wanted to help. Why she was at Triumph… that I’m still trying to crack. She excels at dodging certain questions, but I’ll get to the bottom of it. I have my suspicions, and they will prove out soon enough. What’s your thought, boss man?”
“I agree. I feel no malcontent coming from her, but there is something she’s hiding. We just don’t want it to come back and bite us. We’ve had enough of that. For now, keep your pet close. I hold you responsible and in charge of that one. I think she might give you a run for your money, too,” Rylen warned then chuckled. “She’s definitely small and fragile looking, but she’s not afraid and eager to learn. Time will tell.”
Enock nodded.
“I like her,” Alana stated.
“I do, too,” seconded Poppy. “I’ve only met a few with gifts similar to mine, but there is something different about hers, maybe because it's undeveloped?” Poppy shrugged, unconcerned. “It will be fun to see what she can do.”
“Good.” Rylen nodded. “Gracie? Anything from you regarding Masia or anything else you’d like to add?”
Gracie pinched her lips together as she thought carefully. Shaking her head, she sighed. “All I get is a question mark over her head, which is not very helpful. The picture’s actually quite comical, which is infuriating. I’m sorry. I’ll let you know if I get something more.”
“That’s fine, Little One.”
Rylen’s relaxed mood allowed her to ease back into her chair, not that he was ever harsh with her—it was more her frustration with herself that set her on edge. Rylen turned to the girls sitting next to Gracie.
“Vi and Lola, can you help Masia get settled into a room? I’d like her to stay at the Lair for a bit until we get to know her more.”
“Aye aye, captain,” Lola saluted.
“Keep your potential enemies close,” Vi muttered in understanding. Rylen winked at Vi’s assessment.
“That’s it!” Rylen announced. “Go get some much deserved and needed rest. Tomorrow will come, and we do not know what it will bring.”
Several stood and lingered in the Throne Room while Rylen led Alana out and straight to the elevator.
Poppy giggled as she watched Alana try to keep up with Rylen as he tugged her arm, pulling her to keep up with him. “That is a man on a mission, I’d say.”
“Oh, would you now?” Mather inquired playfully as he grabbed her hand. “Because I have a mission of my own, I’d like to satisfy.”
She moved in closer to him, his body heat wrapping around her… inviting her… enticing her to allow herself to be enveloped by him. “Well, you better be on your way, then. I wouldn’t want to hinder your mission,” she added coyly.
“You misunderstand, flower. You are very much a part of the mission; in fact, your presence is integral to the success of it.” Mather slid his hand around her neck, pulling her gently closer.
“Is it? I would imagine you could succeed at it just fine on your own,” Poppy suggested, batting her eyes.
“Oh, is that what you think? Well, I have news for you—” Mather scooped her up and gently threw her over his shoulder.
Poppy shrieked and smacked his ass that was now quite close to her fac
e. “What are you doing, you big cave man?! Put me down!” she hollered as he moved through the lingering group. Shouts of encouragement and laughter roared throughout the room.
“Time for words is over. I intend to make you mine, Poppy Brennan, and I will conquer every inch of you.” Mather lumbered out of the room, carrying his prey with him.
At the elevator, he put her down, allowing her to slide down the front of his body. As he righted her stance, Poppy’s eyes found his, and the intense desire and love she saw there stole her breath. Warmth blossomed in her chest, and heat flooded her core. “Mather,” she uttered, but no other words could follow. She needed him. Her hands braced his face, and she lovingly stroked his cheek where his skin met beard.
“Poppy I want all of you, but if you aren’t ready, tell me now, and we’ll slow down,” he whispered, leaning in to nuzzle her neck, his nose rubbing behind her ear then down to her jawline—the act sensual and intimate.
“I want you now, Mat. I’ve waited for you for a long time.” She smiled up at him. “I hear the dungeon is free again.” Poppy waggled her eyebrows at him.
“Not this time.” He took her lip between his teeth, gently biting and tasting her flesh. “Our first time together will be in my room on a bed fit for a queen… my queen.” Mather kissed her fully, cradling her face between his large masculine hands, stealing what little breath she had left as he devoured her mouth right there in front of the elevator. She reached back and pushed the button, calling for the giant lift to take them higher. The doors opened and he lifted her, cradling her bottom as her legs wrapped around his waist, their mouths never separating as they entered the next phase of their lives as mates.
Poppy couldn’t wait for the elevator to reach the top floor of the hotel before she broke their contact for only a mere fraction of a moment and stripped off her shirt. Mather chuckled at her excitement but was quickly made to stop as her mouth found its way home again. He squeezed her ass cheeks within each of his hands. Their tongues mated and danced an exotic tango while their hands moved constantly, gripping and caressing, touching and feeling their way across every surface reachable.