Matthias sat up, lifting his hips to drag on his trousers that hadn’t quite fully made it off him and she pouted when his muscular thighs and buttocks were covered. Then her lips quirked. He’d made love with his boots on.
Her smile died. Made love. Was that what it felt like? No, it couldn’t. They’d had sex. Lycans did it all the time, indulging their animal instincts. Sure, she didn’t indulge anywhere near as often as she liked. Okay, pretty much after the first three times, never. Still, her previous though limited experience had never prepared her for anything like this. It was great sex. Fantastic sex. She frowned. Maybe it was too-good-to-be-true sex.
Matthias rose to his feet, zipping his fly, his broad shoulders and back covered with dirt and leaves from when he’d rolled off her. She rose to her feet and scooped up her jeans. She scanned the darkness, squinting. Where the hell were her panties? She finally spied them and scooped them up, then dragged on her clothes. She winced as she shook some leaves and twigs out of the cups of her bra. Now that her system was calming down, rational thought was returning, along with the memory of their discussion beforehand. She wasn’t ready to revisit the seriousness of that conversation, of being cast out by her pack. She still had to process that a little more. She wanted to hold on to this carefree, joyous sensation for as long as possible, and block out that stark, mind-twisting, heartbreaking reality.
“I have to say, that was, uh, fun.” Keep it light. She clipped her bra on and pulled her shirt on over her head, almost missing the sharp twist as Matthias looked away.
“Fun, huh?” he muttered, and she frowned as he folded his arms and looked off into the distance, his biceps and pectoral muscles bulging with the movement. Hunger rose within her again, and she was stunned that she could want to touch that chest, stroke those arms, so soon after having her sensory circuits blown.
She slid her arms into her jacket. “Wasn’t it?” she asked, and humiliating warmth filled her cheeks. Oh, good grief. What if only she felt this titillating exhilaration coursing through her veins? She felt like she could go on a three-day hike up to the western boundary. Or else have another bout of that great, fantastic sex. Was she that starved, that desperate for affection that she would read so much into what could have been a mundane and ordinary experience for Matthias?
He met her gaze, and it was almost like an electric shock ran through her, setting that previous tingling awake again. Her fingers, her toes, her nipples—her core. It was as though just his eyes were enough to stoke her engine. She swallowed. What was happening to her?
His gaze drifted over her, and she resisted the temptation to pull at the twig caught in her hair. Everywhere his gaze landed, it was like a caress, hot and silky. He nodded finally. “Yeah, it was fun.”
Still, there was no levity in his gaze, just an intent, hot, almost angry stare. She dropped her eyes, and her gaze landed on his chest again, and the glint of his chain caught her eye.
Cool horror swamped what had previously been a lethargic heat stirring within her, and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, my God,” she whispered, shaking her head. She hadn’t. She didn’t. She couldn’t.
His blond eyebrows slashed across his forehead as she hugged herself, bending over at the waist as something that burned like cold fire flared in her gut. “What’s wrong?”
She had. She did. Apparently she could. She’d lain with another she-wolf’s lycan. No wonder he was angry, and...cool. Tears pricked her eyelids. He’d followed her, he’d tried to comfort her, and then...well, things had gotten very intense, for both of them.
“What have we done?” she wailed softly. No, that just wasn’t right. How could she not have focused on that ring, on that symbol of another’s love? How could she disregard another she-wolf’s brand on her territory? It was dishonorable, disrespectful and offensive to that anonymous she-wolf. Despite his obvious involvement and enjoyment, it was an insult to Matthias as well, to not respect his relationship with his woman. Of course, he was also ten times worse than the stinky pond scum for his part, too.
She shook her head as he stepped toward her, his frown quickly changing to concern. “Trinity, what’s wrong?”
“We are,” she whispered, hugging herself. “What we did—that was so wrong. I’m so sorry.” She shook her head as she backed away from him, ashamed and horrified at effectively poaching in another she-wolf’s territory.
“You’re sorry?” he repeated softly in disbelief. “You’re sorry?”
“God, no wonder my pack cast me out,” she raised a trembling hand to her forehead. “Look at what I’m capable of, lying with you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” It came out like a growl, and she frowned. He was angry. Sure, he had a right to be angry—what they’d done could cost him his relationship with his mate, but hell, he was part of this, too. It wasn’t all her fault.
She stalked up to him, her shock and self-disgust rolling into a far more practical wave of anger. “I mean,” she growled back at him, and reached for the ring resting against that smooth, gorgeous, traitorous chest, “that while you wear this, you and I can never be together. Never.”
His fingers clasped around her wrist, and they stared at each other for a moment. “It’s too late,” he murmured silkily, his eyes flashing golden green. “We are together.”
She shook her head as she released the ring as though burned, and tried to wrench her arm out of his grip. “No. I won’t break up a home. I won’t lie with a man wearing another woman’s ring.”
His cheek flexed, as though he was grinding his teeth, striving for patience. “It’s not what you think,” he muttered finally, slowly releasing her wrist.
She arched an eyebrow. “Is that your wife’s ring?”
“Yes.” He said it as a matter of course, as though there wasn’t a whole wealth of meaning tied up in that one little word.
“If I asked you, would you take it off?”
Sadness and dismay entered his gaze as he slowly shook his head. “I can’t.”
Those words pierced her heart, so painful was it to hear that he wouldn’t relinquish his link with another woman, if she’d ever ask.
“It’s a good thing I’ll never ask, then,” she stated calmly, coldly. She tried to step around him, but he blocked her, his mouth working as though he was trying to find the right words. But there were no right words for this. Nothing could make the shameful situation right.
“I’m going back to camp. I need to sleep, and I need to wash,” she snarled at him, and he flinched as if she’d slapped him.
Funnily enough, she felt like she’d been slapped, too. She frowned as she trudged back to camp, hit with an overwhelming sense of shared desperation. But that didn’t make any sense.
* * *
Matthias sagged against a tree trunk as he again watched Trinity walk away from him. He didn’t like that this was becoming a habit. He had to fight the natural instinct to growl, to howl after the woman who seemed determined to ignore their connection. His beast arched and flexed inside, as though wanting to chase after the woman who twisted him in knots yet set his heart racing, his joy free. He lifted the ring on the chain and stared at it in frustration. For the first time ever he hated the damn thing.
How could Trinity think he was capable of being able to form a commitment with another and then make love with her? He swallowed. Although it wasn’t just making love, was it? He growled softly. He should have felt guilty for what he’d done. It should have felt like a betrayal to Cara, but he was unable to see it that way. He’d loved his wife, and since her death he’d never really looked at another female as a potential partner, let alone a mate. Instinct had taken over, and truthfully, still gripped his body.
Matthias thumped the tree trunk. Damn it. She thought he was some sort of lying, cheating, dishonorable man whore. Yet if she knew the truth, she’d find out
he was much, much worse.
Maybe he should leave it as is? Let her keep thinking what she was thinking? No. He shook his head. She’d stared at him from dismayed eyes, and although he’d seen disgust, he’d also seen the self-contempt. He couldn’t let his woman continue to beat herself up over something that was nonexistent. But he couldn’t tell her the truth, either.
His fingers tightened on the ring. When he’d chosen to wear it, being with another lycan had been the furthest thing from his mind. In all that time since, not once had it ever been the problem it was now. He’d been wild in his youth, had indulged in physical relationships just like any other shifter. Then he’d met Cara, and his feelings for her, before and after her death, meant he’d never felt the need for another woman.
Until Trinity.
Aw, hell. He’d never once thought he’d initiate a mating bond. His body tightened as he looked down at that patch of dirt they’d lain on. Even now, he could smell them, smell their musk, the evidence of their new connection. He straightened his shoulders. No lycan walked away after imprinting on another. It was the first stage of a lifelong connection. He’d found his mate.
Now he had to seduce her.
Chapter 11
Matthias hauled himself up over the rock and halted as Zane leaned against a boulder, catching his breath, Nate by his side. Jax was farther ahead, having swapped from Matthias’s back to Warwick’s only a short while ago.
“She’s doing it again—you know that, right?” Zane panted.
Matthias nodded. They’d scaled this rock face earlier in the day. She hadn’t come near him, had just waited for the guardians to pack up camp, and then had started tramping toward a low-lying part of the mountain range. They’d been climbing steadily ever since—unless they’d descended to repeat the trip.
Nate frowned. “What is she doing?” He slid his backpack off his back and leaned his butt against the stone wall. They were all sweaty from their exertions, and Matthias decided the rigorous climb was good conditioning for his guardians.
Zane moved his finger in a circle. “She’s leading us in a loop.”
Nate frowned as he stood to survey the wall, his eyes widening as realization dawned. “She is, too.”
Zane looked up at Matthias. “You told her, right?”
He nodded. Yes, he’d told her; he’d hurt his mate in such a profound way. Her alpha prime had discarded her. He would find a way to make it up to her, though.
“That wasn’t all you did,” Nate said as he pulled a water bottle out of his pack and twisted the lid.
He nodded. “I imprinted on her.” He wasn’t going to hide it. Hell, he wanted to yell it from the mountaintop. Fortunately, his scent on her body was doing exactly the same thing to his pack. He’d marked her, and his guardians were becoming aware. They took more notice of her, and although they hadn’t mistreated her before this, there was a definite increase in respect in their dealings with her now. She was his lover, whether she was prepared to admit it or not, and he would look after her. His pack would now know that she was under his protection, his care.
“Maybe that explains it,” Zane said as he snagged the water bottle from Nate before he could drink from it, and tilted it to his lips, taking a long swallow before finally lowering it and wiping his mouth.
“Explains what?” Nate asked, frowning as he dug out another water bottle.
“Well, yesterday, it was a nice little ramble among the woods, in and out of shade. Quite pleasant, really, as she led us around and around,” Zane told him. He cast his eye up the mountain they were all scaling. “Today, I think she’s pissed, and that’s why we’re doing this trek.”
Nate’s eyebrow rose. “She’s pissed because our guardian prime imprinted on her?” He grinned. “Maybe he’s not doing it right.” He pulled out a third bottle and undid the cap.
Matthias frowned. “I don’t think she realizes,” he admitted. Ever since he’d returned to camp, he’d been aware of her. He knew where she was sitting, who she was talking to—his body was attuned to finding her, to protecting her. His senses focused on her. And nearly every time he’d looked over to her, he’d met her gaze. He could see the wariness and anger, but he could also see the confusion, the curiosity, just before she looked away.
“She doesn’t know?” Zane straightened, shaking his head. “Okay, so then you’re really not doing it right.”
“No, I mean I don’t think she understands an imprint,” he said slowly, and took the bottle that Nate had just opened. Nate’s lips tightened, and then he started rifling through his bag for another one. Matthias tilted it back and sipped the cool, refreshing liquid. He’d been thinking of nothing else since the night before. Trinity’s nonreaction to the imprint had hurt at first, but he’d come to suspect it wasn’t an act. She seemed honestly unaware of the fact—although she seemed to be feeling some of the consequences, if those covert glances of hers that touched him like a silent caress were anything to go by.
“How can she not know?” Zane wondered. “We’re all taught as soon as we become sexually active.”
Matthias nodded. “True. I was told before I left for my first wandering.” As juveniles matured into young adults, it was natural to want to assert independence, to strike out and hunt, to spread one’s wings, so to speak. It was called wandering, the time a lycan spent away from his pack as he exercised his independence and newfound strength and maturity. It was also the time of exploration: physical, emotional, sexual.
“Same here,” Nate commented. He frowned. “How can Woodland not educate their young like that? Which brings me to another point—Woodland? Of all the she-wolves, you had to imprint on a Woodland one?”
Matthias shrugged as he took another sip from the water bottle. “We all know there’s no control over an imprint.” There had been many a humorous tale told around a dinner table about unlikely pairings. If anything, the fact that he’d imprinted on her made it a more palatable outcome than if he’d simply chosen her as a partner. It would be hard for Alpine to accept her as a choice, but as a mate—well, that was simply fate. Unavoidable, inescapable fate.
Well, fate was a bitch with a nasty sense of humor.
“I knew it,” Zane muttered as he turned back to the rocky climb. “This torture is your fault. You’ll have to have the talk with her.”
Matthias frowned. “I think I’ll let her work it out on her own.” How did you have the talk with a grown woman? He’d prefer to let things run their natural course. In other words, pretend everything was hunky-dory.
Nate shook his head. “No, Zane’s right, as much as it hurts to admit it. You’ve started the process. She’s going to need to understand what’s going on, before she gets to the next stage.” He shook his head. “Otherwise you’re both going to be in for a hell of a time.” He shuddered. “Can you imagine an angry mate at bonding? Say goodbye to your gonads—at least, for a while. That’s if she completes the bond.”
Matthias’s stomach roiled. He felt sick. Physically ill. If a male imprinted, and a female didn’t accept the bond, then the rejection could kill him. It was worse than pining. He started climbing, and a short while later he peered over the top of the mountain for the second time that day, only this time there was a different view.
Despite the heat of their exertions, her collar was high, and he realized she was trying to hide the bite mark on her neck. From the look in her smoldering blue eyes, he also realized Zane was right.
Trinity was pissed.
He hoisted himself up and over the edge, and she backed up, giving the other guardians enough space to pass.
“What the hell did you do to me?” she hissed.
* * *
Trinity watched as he hoisted himself over the ledge, his muscles bunching and straining across his shoulders and arms, his abdomen rippling with his movement. His chest was gl
istening with perspiration from the climb, and as he stood a droplet started a lazy slide down over his left pectoral muscle, rolling over each swell and dip of his golden torso, that sexy silver scar, until it disappeared beneath his belt.
She swallowed. Mercy. The skunk was glorious, and as he stood on top of the rocky outcrop, looked the quintessential alpha. Strong, powerful, lord of all he surveyed. Right now, though, he was surveying her intently.
Well, he damn well wasn’t lord of her. She tightened her lips. “What did you do?”
He gestured to his two sergeants-at-arms who followed him up, their expressions openly curious. “Keep the squads moving.”
He grasped her arm and walked her through the trees that topped the rocky outcrop. “We need to talk in private,” he muttered.
She cringed inwardly. She was beginning to learn that whenever Matthias used the words we need to talk, it usually meant she was going to hear something she wasn’t going to like.
“What, you don’t want your guardians to know you shagged the enemy while you’ve got a wife waiting for you at home?” she snapped.
He hauled her to a stop and leaned down toward her, his green gaze full of determination. “One, I don’t have a wife waiting for me at home, and two, I’m pretty sure they all know we shagged.”
She blinked. “What?” His words stunned her, sucking her anger out like a fire denied oxygen.
He frowned. “What what? What to the wife, or what to everyone knowing we shagged?”
“What to the wife. Wait—everyone knows?” Mortification bloomed hot and fast in her cheeks. She tugged at her arm, and he let her go.
“Okay, start talking,” she ordered, holding up a hand.
“What do you want to know first?” He folded his arms in that cocky, confident way of his, his head tilted to the side, a knowing gleam in his eye.
She wanted to know everything—now—but decided to start with what was currently driving her nuts.
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