by Abigail Owen
The need for caffeine had her throwing back the covers. She pulled a sweater on over her pajamas bottoms and tank top and climbed downstairs on silent, bare feet.
“Morning,” Marrok rumbled when she rounded the corner into the kitchen.
Damn, the man had a sexy morning voice, all gravely and low, the sound skittering up and down her spine in delicious way. That, combined with the fact that he only wore pajama pants, slung low on his hips, exposing all those hard muscles to her greedy eyes, was enough to make any woman drool.
She cleared her throat and ignored her lascivious thoughts. “Morning.”
He stood at the stove cooking again—scrambled eggs.
Good mate. Tala pointed out to her wolf.
The fickle creature huffed, unimpressed.
Tala scooted around him, tempted to “accidentally” brush up against that fabulous ass, and grabbed a mug on the counter she assumed he’d gotten out for her, and filled it, then stirred in buckets of cream and sugar. She dropped into a chair at the table, pulling one leg in close, her foot propped on her seat, knee up by her chest, and took a long, grateful swig.
“So you take coffee with your cream and sugar?” Laughter lurked in his voice, and she glanced over the rim of her mug to find him watching her, lips quirked.
She put her mug down and grinned. “It’s basically dessert. I can’t drink it too often or I’ll get fat.” She pulled a face.
“Somehow I doubt that.” He eyed her slender form, appreciation sizzling in those electric blue eyes.
How he managed to touch her without physically coming near her was a mystery, but Tala’s body was on fire nonetheless. She shifted in her seat, trying to ease the need pulsing low in her body. “What’s on the agenda today?”
He turned back to the eggs, lifting the pan off the stove and turning off the burner. “Breakfast. Then discussion. I’d like you to make a list of the issues you want to hit first. I thought we’d cover those, then, if there’s anything else on my list, we’ll get to those afterward.”
Sounded reasonable. “Okay.”
Already her mind was ticking over the countless items on her side. Everything from living arrangements, to feeding both packs, to sharing of assets, to dealing with multiple people in the same positions—two alphas, two seconds-in-command, various enforcers, and so forth. Combining their packs was like combining two fully functioning corporations or townships with all the complications each entailed. And the added fun of eons of mutual, senseless hate. Don’t forget that part.
Marrok set her plate down in front of her and took his own seat. On autopilot Tala took a bite and had to bite back a groan. Spaghetti and scrambled eggs, the two meals he’d made, weren’t exactly cordon bleu, but the man could cook. “These are fantastic.”
“They’re just eggs.” Eyebrows lifted and, amusement back in his voice, he eyed her curiously.
She scrunched up her nose. “I live on power bars mostly.”
“Ah.” He took a bite of his eggs.
That was it? “I can’t cook. I don’t clean. I’ve never changed a baby in my life. I don’t do soft and cuddly. I’m ultra-competitive. And sentiment makes me uncomfortable.”
He paused mid-chew and cocked his head, searching her expression. Then he swallowed the bite. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“You need to know what you’re getting with me.” She glanced outside the window over the sink. “Maybe I’m not the mate you need.” The last she murmured softly.
“Hey.” Marrok leaned across the table and took her chin in his fingers, forcing her gaze back to him. “You’re exactly the mate I need.”
The conviction in his words, in his eyes, chipped away at the cold block of ice and fear surrounding her heart.
Marrok released her, letting her breathe more easily as he leaned back in his chair. “I can cook; in fact, I like it. I don’t clean either, but pay one of the ladies from the pack to come in for me, though I’m neat. I’ve never changed a baby either, but when they come, we’ll figure it out together. I suspect I’m cuddlier than you, but you’ve been cuddly enough for me.” The heated look he gave her brought warmth to her cheeks. “I’m also ultra-competitive, which should make for an interesting life together.” He grinned now. “But I don’t give up either, and no matter how mad you get at me, this mating is for life. While I’m not sentimental in general, I have a feeling you may change that for me, so you’ll just have to deal with it when I get mushy on you.”
“Oh.” Tala bit her lip. He’d managed to get to the heart of every one of her fears. Another piece of ice fell away. At the core of Marrok Banes existed a solid, decent man. Someone she genuinely liked, which was rare for her. He saw her, the real her, and didn’t appear put off or intimidated. Maybe they could do this.
Time to see how he negotiated. She sat forward in her chair and picked up her fork. “What are your thoughts on choosing a new neutral site to reestablish both packs together?”
CHAPTER 16
Marrok’s gaze followed his mate as she paced back and forth in front of the stone fireplace. They’d started their discussions over breakfast and continued them after cleaning up and getting dressed. They’d both opted for jeans. While he’d pulled on another black t-shirt, his go-to casual wear, she’d gone with a white tank top with glittery stuff highlighting her generous breasts. He particularly liked how the soft jeans she’d donned hugged her tight backside. Oh, to be those jeans. Trying to be stealthy about it, Marrok shifted in his seat for the umpteenth time, in a useless attempt to relieve the pressure.
Their scents—his earthy and hers with a hint of wildflowers—mingled in the small space. They’d both foregone shoes, and their bare feet gave the impression of intimacy. Or maybe he was entertaining wishful thinking? They’d talked through the morning, through lunch, and now through part of the afternoon.
“We need a set of laws concerning the mixing of the packs, or they’re likely to kill each other.” She flung her hands up in frustration.
“I agree.”
“You don’t—” She stopped and swung toward him. “You agree?”
“Yes. Although the fight against Kaios proved we can work side by side when we want to, until we all view each individual as family, as pack, rather than as “us versus them,” or as enemies, it won’t work.”
“Exactly.”
“But I also think it’s time we take a break.” He glanced at his watch pointedly.
Tala peeked at the slim band on her own wrist and grimaced. “We have been going at this a long time.”
He set down his laptop, which he’d been using to take notes, and held out his hand. “Come on.”
Tentatively, she placed her hand in his. “Where are we going?”
“For a run?” he suggested. His wolf was begging him to get out and stretch his legs, explore this area, play with his mate. The animal yipped excitedly in his head.
Tala’s pretty smile lit up every part of her—her eyes sparkled, her cheeks bloomed, her body practically vibrated with anticipation. “Sounds good!”
He tried to keep his gaze away from his mate as they stripped. This was not about getting her into bed; this was allowing their wolves a chance to meet their mates. A chance to further the bond that started the night he’d claimed Tala.
But damn, she was glorious naked.
She smirked at the hard evidence of the effect she had on him. Marrok laughed and shrugged, then headed outside and willed the change.
His eager wolf practically burst from his body, forcing the shift faster than Marrok liked, bringing an added throb of pain that took his breath away. As soon as the pain ebbed, he turned to face his mate. She was a lovely wolf, all white with grey socks and grey around her face, slender and lean, shorter than he and smaller by at least thirty percent. No wonder she had chosen to become a weapons expert as her form of fighting. He’d seen her wolf before, of course, but they’d been busy fighting.
Marrok loosed a playful growl, bunching his
muscles to pounce when Tala dropped her head. Her ears flattened and she exposed her teeth. A menacing growl, nothing like the playful one he’d issued, ripped from her throat.
What the hell?
Staying low to the ground, she inched forward, her threat clear. Get off my land or pay with your life.
Marrok stood his ground and did his best not to react to her aggression. Part of him couldn’t believe his mate was posturing to attack. The other part wouldn’t fight her.
But his refusal to leave only enraged the white wolf. With a suddenness that shocked him, she lunged. He turned in time to keep those teeth from ripping out his throat. His mate had gone mad.
He couldn’t let her kill him. Marrok used his experience fighting in this form to twist around her. With a burst of strength and speed, he barreled into her side, knocking her to the ground. In a flash, he was on top of her. Using his greater bulk, he pinned her to the ground. She went berserk, thrashing underneath him, snapping at him. Around her snarling jaws, Marrok got her neck between his teeth. He applied just enough pressure to scare her.
It took forever. Tala had to be fighting her animal from inside, but the rage that could overcome a werewolf had taken hold, making it near impossible to shift back. Finally, the tell-tale crack of bones sounded. Tala had regained control of her body and initiated the change. Once she was human enough, Marrok released her and backed off, making the change himself.
Breathing hard, they stared at each other.
“What the hell was that, Tala?”
Her face crumpled. “I don’t know. I mean, she’s been standoffish about you lately, but why would my wolf want to attack her mate?”
Marrok’s gut twisted at the sight of her tears. His strong mate never cried. Still thrown by the situation, he had to comfort her. Marrok picked her up and carried her inside, where he sat on the loveseat with her across his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and touched his forehead to hers.
“We’ll figure it out. Okay?”
She let loose a low sigh. “Maybe we’re trying to force something that will never work.”
No. Panic clawed at his gut. She couldn’t give up on him, on them. He took her face in his hands and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Don’t ever say that—”
The shrill ring of their satellite phone interrupted him. Shit. What now?
“I’ll get it.” Tala grabbed her clothes on the way to the kitchen where the phone was.
“Hello?” she answered as she sat on one of the wooden chairs and started to pull on her jeans. She paused with one foot mid-air and listened intently. “Damn,” she muttered.
She straightened and shoved her foot into the jeans. “Send a car. I’ll be waiting.”
She hung up, finished dressing and turned to Marrok. “I’ve been challenged for alpha formally. I have to go.”
CHAPTER 17
Marrok placed his hands on the roof and door of the SUV and leaned down to stare at his mate, who stared back with a frustratingly calm expression. Meanwhile, his wolf was going nuts inside him.
“You’re really going to do this alone? I should be there. At your side.”
She shook her head. “I need to show them I’m still alpha. Without you.”
Bile rose in his throat, sour in his mouth. He got the logic of her decision, but the thought of not being there when she could die gutted him. Letting her go was the hardest thing he’d ever done, a physical pain inside him. Every cell screamed at him to go. Protect his mate.
“I’ll stay away tonight, but I’m coming tomorrow. No matter what.”
A tiny smile pulled at her lips. His panic didn’t ease, but at least he’d done that much for her. She wanted him with her. He’d take that as progress.
“You’re not allowed to die on me.”
“No kidding,” she muttered.
Unable to not touch her any longer, Marrok leaned in and placed his lips over hers. Their lips clung, lingered, and the fire of need blazed in him as the sweet taste of her burst on his tongue.
Tala pulled back. She kept her eyes closed and breathed deeply. Her heartrate even picked up a bit. Good. He wasn’t the only one affected.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promised.
She opened those amazing green eyes and allowed him to witness her fear and worry. “Okay.”
Marrok stepped back and shut the door. He tapped the hood with the flat of his hand and the driver hit the gas. The SUV bumped away on the rudimentary dirt track.
Marrok’s wolf gave a howl of mixed fury and terror for his mate. Marrok didn’t feel any better about watching his mate drive away. Tala was right. This was her fight. But instinct was a bitch, and every cell in his body screamed that he should be with her.
*****
Tala refused to look back and see if Marrok still stood there. If she did, she might turn around and run straight back into his arms. Instead, she opened her laptop and pulled up the reports her beta had sent with the driver. Running a pack was like being mayor of a small town or CEO of a medium business. The job came with all the same headaches and complications. Basic services like electricity, water, trash. People management, including employment, health care, regulation. Financial needs were huge. Although their communities were essentially self-contained, they still had to function in the wider world. There were also the special needs of werewolves—keeping new wolves from attacking humans, intra-pack issues, inter-pack issues, including feuds. The lists went on and on, and she’d neglected those duties these past few weeks leading up to and during her mating.
Dwelling on the challenge she faced was a waste of effort, so Tala tried to lose herself in the reports, making notes of things she needed to check on or investigate further, meetings to set up, and other needs. She glanced up briefly when the ride abruptly shifted from bumpy to smooth as they hit asphalt road about an hour from the cabin. Another hour later, she glanced up again.
She twisted in her seat, taking a closer look at their surroundings. This area didn’t look remotely familiar. “Dolph?” she called to the driver. “Where are we?”
“Road closures meant we had to reroute.”
His words made sense, but something in his tone snagged her attention. As she listened, his heartrate increased.
“I see.” She pretended to go back to her work, and his heartrate reverted to normal. Yup. Something was definitely off here. Usually not prone to being easily alarmed, the warning sirens going off in her head had Tala acting on instinct. She slipped her phone from her backpack. Keeping it out of Dolph’s line of sight, she dialed the number Marrok had given her. She couldn’t risk putting it on speaker, or Dolph would hear her mate. With his enhanced hearing, he might hear, anyway, but she had to take that risk.
“Do you mind if we stop?”
He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Why?”
She waved at her computer. “Reading on a bumpy road was a terrible idea. I’m not feeling all that hot.”
“We’re not far from Rand.”
The exact opposite direction from where they were going. “Wow! We really did get rerouted.”
Dolph grunted in agreement.
She pushed the button for the window, but it refused to budge. “Can you unlock the window?”
“Why?”
Tala rolled her eyes. “Because I want to roll it down. Fresh air might help.”
Dolph remained silent.
Tala’s wolf started to pace. Very slowly she tightened her seatbelt. “Stop the car.”
No response.
“Now.” Tala imbued the command with all the alpha at her disposal.
Dolph pulled out a pistol and aimed it straight at her.
In a flash Tala threw her computer at him. Her aim was true and the heavy projectile struck him in the head. Reflex made him squeeze the trigger and the gun went off. Dolph slumped forward, out cold, and the SUV swerved as his heavy body turned the wheel. Tala braced herself as the vehicle slammed into the granite rock of the mountain on their righ
t side. The world upended as they flipped onto the roof and skidded, with a sickening screech of metal on asphalt, before crashing to an abrupt halt.
Dazed, she took a second to take quick stock, and let out a breath of relief as she found nothing more than bumps and bruises. The rancid scent of gasoline filled the air. The fumes also served to clear her head. Time to move. With a click, she released her seatbelt and dropped to her hands and knees, ignoring the bite of glass in her palms. The doors were locked and wouldn’t unlock from the backseat.
She grabbed her phone, which lay among the rubble, and scrambled between the seats up to the front. She managed to maneuver around Dolph’s unconscious form and hit the button to unlock the doors, but the passenger door wouldn’t budge when she went to open it. Tala closed her eyes and accessed the full strength of her wolf. With a mighty shove and the wail of metal against metal, she forced the door open, barely wide enough for her to squeeze out.
She held up her cell phone and swore at the spider web pattern on the glass. Sure enough, when she went to turn it on, the display was all scrambled. Dolph was unconscious but could wake any moment. Who knew how close or far his fellow traitors were from her now. Tala was convinced Dolph had been taking her to others, likely to kill her.
She needed to move. Now.
Tala stripped and stuffed her clothes back in the vehicle before she hustled up into the trees on the other side of the road. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply before willing the change. Only a whimper escaped her lips as her body accommodated its bigger, four-legged form. Time for brains over brawn. She took off through the forest.
CHAPTER 18
After Tala had driven off, Marrok hadn’t been able to sit still. He had a few more hours before his own ride arrived. While he might not be able to stay with Tala, he could still be close by. While he waited, he decided a run as a wolf would help bleed off this sense of wrongness inside him. Werewolves found nature soothing, and he needed soothing.