by Anya Bast
Roane's great head swung around and he fixed her with a look of unmistakable warning. Stay back. Stay out of this sounded his voice in her mind.
Marcus took that moment to lunge. It was a dirty move to do it while Roane had been distracted. The two Wolven came together in a ball of fur, teeth, and claws. Sounds of snarling, growling and snapping filled the room. The two huge wolves careened backward, crashing into the bed and moving it to the side five feet. They hit the night table and smashed it, then rolled to the center of the room and leapt apart.
Growling low, they circled each other. Blood matted both their fur. Marcus had an injury on his rear haunch and another gaping tear in his shoulder. Blood trickled from Roane's haunch as well, where Marcus had sunk his fangs in and worried the flesh.
Stop this! Both of you!
Marcus turned to look at her. Get out of here, Scarlet. This is between me and Roane. Change from Shadow and get into my car.
No, Marcus. I will not be treated like a child. I made a choice to come here with Roane. I won't let you punish him for it.
As your alpha, I command you to leave.
She straightened her stance, lowered her head a little and showed fang. As your sister, I refuse.
Marcus swung his head to look at Roane. You bring this side out in her. You're nothing but trouble for this pack.
Roane laughed, a low, harsh sound in his head. That only shows how little you know Scarlet.
An odd comment coming from someone she'd only just met, but Roane was right. She wasn't acting out of the ordinary. It was just that her brother only saw what he wanted to see in her. Marcus had never seen the real her. Perhaps Roane did.
Marcus lunged again, this time taking Roane by the throat. Marcus slammed him to the floor and held him there. Alarmed, Scarlet stepped forward. As alpha, Marcus could rip Roane's throat out right now and still be within pack law since Roane had challenged his authority.
No! Marcus, don't kill him. Please!
Why? So you can continue to sleep with him and make a laughing stock of me? Pause. His voice in her mind lowered. I want to kill him, Scarlet. His grip tightened. Blood trickled.
Scarlet's heart inched upward into her throat.
In the blink of an eye, Roane flipped Marcus. He did it so fast Scarlet couldn't even see how. Now Roane held Marcus pinned to the floor by the throat.
Fear exploded through her. She bounded to Roane and growled low. Don't hurt him, Roane. Please, he's my brother.
By pack law, if Roane ripped out Marcus's throat, he would ascend to the rank of alpha. Only the strongest of the Wolven could hold the title. If the alpha was challenged and killed, the challenger ascended.
I don't want to be alpha, Scarlet. I'll prove that to you both right now. Roane released Marcus and backed away.
Marcus flipped to his feet in one powerful move, lowered his head and laid his ears back. The fact that he'd been bested and his alpha title challenged by Roane—and could have been won—had to sting his ego.
Her brother glowered. This means nothing, Roane. I want you gone from Tranquility.
Yes, probably now more than ever. Roane had just shown how easily he could take Marcus's title from him.
Marcus changed, eyes and body posture still as threatening as when he'd been in shadow. Blood marked him head to toe, mostly coming from the thigh and shoulder wounds he'd sustained.
Scarlet also shifted, the cool air biting into her naked human flesh. She stepped toward Marcus to help him.
"Don't touch me," Marcus snarled. Limping and moving slowing, he gathered his clothing, dressed, and dragged himself to the door. "You have disobeyed pack, Scarlet. Disobeyed me." He didn't look at her. Breathing heavily and grimacing in pain, he only put a hand to the door jamb and stared out into the hallway. "You'll be punished."
She stared at the open door for a moment while Roane shifted. He groaned and she raced to the door, closed it, and went to his side. Blood coated his thigh from a vicious wound.
"Your brother has a good set of teeth." He winced and pushed to his feet.
"Yeah, well, so do you."
She helped him to the bed, where he laid down. "I'll clean up your wound."
After she'd gathered what she needed to wipe the blood away and bandage the gash, she sat down on the bed beside him and began to work. He yelped as she wiped the area to the left of the gash.
She shot him a look of exasperation. "Oh, come on, you just kicked the alpha's ass. You're not going to cry at a wet wash cloth, are you?"
He grinned at her. "I was hoping I might get a sympathy kiss or something."
She ducked her head. "I'm sorry about my brother."
Roane stroked her hair. "Not your fault. Part of that was probably related to the fact that I'm falling for his sister, but most of it was because he feels threatened by me and has nothing to do with you at all."
He was falling her....? Those words made something in her belly and chest feel warm. It was nice. She hid a smile and glanced at him. "Apparently he has good reason to feel threatened by you."
"He doesn't. Look, I don't want his job. I left Fury because I didn't want the job. I'm not a loner, but I don't want to be the top dog either. Thing is, I can't help how other Wolven perceive me. I can't help that they don't believe me. I just want a community and to be left alone." He paused. "And you." Roane reached out and cupped her cheek. "I think I want you too."
Scarlet's hand stilled in the air over his thigh, shock rippling through her.
Roane leaned in and kissed her.
* * * * *
Roane pulled reluctantly away from Scarlet. He licked his lips, trying to hold on to the taste of her kiss. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, undoubtedly as surprised by his words as he was.
Man, he'd really dug himself a hole this time. Not only was he doomed to leave Tranquility, he'd fallen in love with Scarlet. That wasn't even the worst of it, since the only way he could stay here, stay with her, was to kill her brother. Roane figured Scarlet would probably frown on that. It was no way to start a relationship.
He had no wish and no intention of killing Marcus anyway. Wolven nature was usually contrary, but not in this case. The wolf within him didn't want to do away with Marcus, didn't want to be alpha. Roane only wanted to be left alone to live within the pack. The human part of him wanted the same. Where Scarlet and Tranquility were concerned, both his shadow half and his human half were in perfect accord.
He simply couldn't have what he wanted.
Roane turned away. "I shouldn't have said that."
She caught his hand and forced him to look at her. "Really? Because I'm glad you did." She smiled a little and her eyes were wet with tears.
He reached up and cupped her cheek. Her skin was warm and smooth against his palm. "This can't work, Scarlet. There was little chance of your brother letting me exist here before today. Now that I've shown him I can beat if I choose, he'll either set the pack on me or run me out of town. I either have to kill him or leave Tranquility. I showed you both that I don't want to kill him, so that leaves one option."
He wouldn't ask her to leave with him. It wouldn't be fair to ask her to give up her family for a man she'd just met.
Even if his wolf had claimed her as his mate within moments of meeting her.
"I don't want you to leave," she said quietly.
"I don't either.”
She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes going wider and fear flicking through them. Suddenly she stood and walked away, pacing toward the other end of the room and back again with her hand pressed tightly to her mouth.
Roane frowned, watching her. "Scarlet? What's wrong?"
"This is crazy," she muttered with a shake of her head. "Totally nuts." She glanced at him and said loudly, "I barely know you."
"Scarlet, what are you talking about?" He tried to stand, winced with pain and collapsed back onto the bed.
"How badly do you want to stay here, Roane? Are you really sure you want to m
ake this place your home?"
"I'm sure I want to stay here for you, Scarlet." He struggled to his feet and walked to her, limping. "The moment my wolf caught scent of you, I knew."
"Kn-knew what?"
He hooked her hair behind her ear. "That you were mine."
She bit her lower lip. "I think I knew too...and it made me angry. Why do I have to be so attracted to a man my brother would most definitely never approve of?"
"Yeah, sucks, doesn't it? Attraction doesn't obey any set of rules."
She gave a little laugh, leaned up and kissed him. "No. It is what it is. Roane, if you want to stay here, there's another way."
"What's that?"
A sliver of doubt passed through her eyes. "Mate me."
Those two words made the wolf in him swell with a sense of triumph. His. Scarlet was his. His wolf wanted to prance around and howl. His jaw locked and he tried his best not to jump on her again despite his injuries.
Scarlet continued, "Tranquility pack law says that the mate of a sibling is under protection. The alpha can't kill him or her. They have immunity of sorts. It's an old law, one they've tried to have overturned many times, but it would provide you protection."
Pack law and organization varied from pack to pack. Back in Fury, Minnesota, his old pack, the laws were made by the council of elders. There was an alpha who ultimately ruled absolutely, but in all the history of the Fury pack, there had never been alpha who hadn't listened carefully to the elders and treated their advice and guidance like gold.
Roane shook his head and turned away. "As much I as I love the idea of mating you, Scarlet, I won't let it happen this way. You're not ready. I can see it in your eyes. I won't let you sacrifice your future that way for me. It's fast, too soon, and it's for the wrong reason."
Wolven mated for life. If Scarlet wasn't sure she wanted to accept Roane as her mate, she would be miserable in a short time. The last thing Roane ever wanted to see on Scarlet's beautiful face was misery.
Scarlet took him by the upper arm and turned him to face her. "I want you, Roane," she said angrily. "I've wanted you from the first moment I saw you. My wolf wants your wolf." She paused. "My heart wants your heart."
"Scarlet, I want to court you the right way. If we're meant to mate, we will...but not like this. I'll find a different way to deal with your brother."
She stared up at him for a long moment, fear for him lighting her eyes. "He'll kill you, Roane. Don't you understand—"
The door burst open and Wolven streamed into the room. Roane pulled Scarlet flush up against him as the men circled them. Roane recognized a couple of them as Tranquility cops. Marcus came in last, strolling in as confidently as he could with a bad limp and some significant injuries. He'd wasted no time. Dried blood still marked his clothes.
Marcus stood in the middle of the room, surveying the scene before him with a sneer on his face. "Scarlet, you sure know how to pick them."
"Don't hurt him, Marcus. Don't do it. I'll never forgive you!"
Marcus flicked a glance a couple of his men. "Restrain her and take the male."
Two men grabbed Scarlet and yanked her away from Roane, kicking and screaming. Roane snarled and tried to fight them, but several huge Wolven males were on him in a moment. They pulled him arms back and wrestled him to the ground. They pinned him there and snicked a pair of cuffs around his wrists.
The men hauled him to his feet and Marcus gave him another once over. "Take him to the jail until I decide what to do with him." The men yanked him toward the door.
Marcus turned to his sister. "I couldn't risk a mating, sweet sister. I know your mind better than you do."
* * * * *
Roane came to and groaned. Pushing up on the gritty floor of his cell, he gazed bleary eyed past the bars to a man's back. One of Tranquility's Wolven cops, no doubt. The cop had the paper spread out on the desk in front of him.
He touched the back of his head and winced, his fingers coming away bloody. They'd pistol-butted him; he remembered now.
Scarlet. Where was she?
He forced himself to his feet and lurched to the cell door. The cop stilled at the sound Roane made, but didn't turn. Roane curled his fingers around the bars. "Hey." No response. "Hey!"
The cop, a skinny brown-haired man, turned and regarded him with wariness in his eyes. The hair on the back of Roane's neck stood on end and a growl trickled from his lips. He could dominate this one with his gaze alone, even from inside his cell. The cop proved his assertion, casting his gaze to the floor. Roane guessed Marcus had left this submissive pup to guard him because Marcus figured he was secure in his cell and couldn't break free. Unfortunately, he was right.
"Where's Marcus?" Roane growled.
"He-he's with his sister," the cop stammered.
He trusted that Marcus wouldn't hurt Scarlet. Marcus hated Roane, but he loved his sister.
"Tell Marcus I want to see him."
“He won't be summoned by anyone below him in terms of pack rank."
Roane's fingers tightened on the bars. "Just tell him." He melted back into the shadows of the cell.
"I will." The cop turned away with obvious relief.
Roane sat down on the cot that ran along one wall and closed his eyes. He wanted two things—Scarlet, and to be able to exist in a pack without being the alpha.
He wanted Scarlet more.
Since he wasn't giving up Scarlet no matter what, that presented a hell of a problem. Because of his innate alphaness, Marcus would always consider him a threat and would never believe Roane didn't want to challenge him for rule. That meant either he and Scarlet had to leave Tranquility and suffer the hardship of being loner Wolven, or he had to challenge Marcus for control of Tranquility and kill Scarlet's brother to take it.
Doom Scarlet to a life of lonely banishment or kill her only sibling and make her hate him. Decisions, decisions.
* * * * *
Marcus's hand caught her cheek and Scarlet stumbled back, pain blossoming across her face. She fell against the wall and put a hand to her face, staring up at her brother through her tangled hair.
He'd never hit her before. Numb shock made her gawp at him. This was a side of her brother she'd seen before, but it had never been directed at her. Roane terrified Marcus and he was taking it out on her.
“You have disgraced me," Marcus yelled. "You have disrespected me and my rule!" He turned away and paced to the opposite end of the room. "I really don't know what to do with you," he said in a low, growling voice.
The tone of his voice made a chill run down her spine and distracted her from the pain of her cheek for a moment. But if he thought she was going to beg, he was wrong. He wasn't the only Wolven in the family with the backbone of an alpha.
Scarlet pulled her hand away from her face and saw that blood marked her fingers. He'd split the skin on her cheekbone. "Nice, Marcus, Mother would be so proud." She spat the words at him.
He stiffened and started to turn, but someone knocked on the door. He jerked it open and spoke low and violently to someone on the other side. Right before he slammed it in the person's face, Scarlet had a glimpse of Amy, her roommate. Amy stared at her for a moment, her eyes wide.
Marcus turned toward her, rage giving his face a brutal set. "You were going to mate him, weren't you?" He took two menacing steps toward and bellowed, "Weren't you?"
"Yes," she hissed. "Yes, I was going to mate him, but he wouldn't agree to it. He thinks I need more time to make that kind of commitment. But I don't need more time, Marcus, because I know he's my mate! I can feel it to the center of me. I've known it since the first day I saw him here in Tranquility, I was just fighting it out of loyalty to you."
Marcus made a scoffing sound. "Clearly that loyalty was weak."
"No, the love was just strong."
That earned her another scoff. "Love—"
"Yes, love!" she screamed at him. "Something you know less about than I thought." She cradled her cheek in her hand and
glared at him.
"You deserved that," he spat at her. "You deserve worse." He spun on his heel and walked toward the door. "You'll stay in here until I've decided how to deal with Roane. Understand, sweet sister, you'll never see him again."
She ran toward him, panic filling her chest with an unpleasant fluttery sensation and coursing cold through her veins. "Don't hurt him, Marcus! Please, I'm begging you! Don't hurt—"
The door slammed and the lock slid home.
Scarlet stopped short and stared at the door for a second, then ran to it and began to pound. She knew it wouldn't do any good. She could yell herself hoarse in here and no one would open the door if Marcus hadn't given leave, but she couldn't just sit and wait while her brother did God knew what to the man she'd come to understand she loved.
* * * * *
"Hey, Bradley."
A woman's voice filtered through Roane's consciousness, making him raise his head from where he cradled it in his hands. A tall blonde had sauntered into the station.
The pup was giving her his full attention. "Hi, Amy."
“Thought I'd come by and see if you needed anything, maybe some lunch or something." She'd come to sit on the edge of his desk, her eyes all for Bradley. "And…to…" She flicked a glance at Roane right before she leaned down and whispered something in the pup's ear.
The pup sputtered, then let out a burst of surprised laughter that eased into a nervous giggle.
Roane let his head droop again and closed his eyes. Ugh. He might be stuck in this cell, but did they have to torture him too?
The sound of kissing met his ear and then more murmurings he couldn't—and didn't want—to hear. Then silence.
"Hey, big guy."
Roane lifted his head to see the blonde standing at the cell door. She showed him the key she held. What the hell?
The woman slid the key into the door's lock. It door slid open with a resounding clank. "We don't have much time before Bradley comes back. You can kick his ass easily enough, but he'll raise an alarm. Marcus has Scarlet and he's acting weird. I think he hit her. He's holding her in the basement of City Hall, right across the street. Go get her."
