by Abigail Owen
Marrok couldn’t cage his wolf’s growl at the sight.
Tala shoved her dress down to spin around and bare her teeth, her canines elongating as she growled back, louder and longer.
A much louder, much deeper growl reverberated from him in answer. “I’ve had about all I can take with you growling at me today,” he snapped. “I was concerned.”
She didn’t pull her teeth in, instead leaning casually against the counter, arms crossed, and lifted a single unimpressed brow. “Oh?”
What? He couldn’t even be concerned for his mate now? Not even in private?
He stepped closer, wolf pushing him to show her what he meant, though he didn’t bare his teeth in return. “In my pack, growling at the alpha is a challenge, and baring your teeth is asking for a fight.”
“What if that alpha is being a jackass?”
Marrok’s head snapped back as if she’d struck him. “I was worried for my mate. Is that wrong?”
That only earned him a glare. “Have any of your people pulled you aside to tell you you’re not being alpha enough? Or challenged you directly for mating me?”
His brows snapped down over his eyes. This again? “No.”
“Maybe that’s because you’re still acting like the only alpha in this equation.”
Now Marrok crossed his arms, imitating her closed-off body posture. “You’re my mate. You were in a fight. I was fucking worried, Tala.”
Terrified more like. Frantic. That’s what she did to him.
Tala snorted. “Which is exactly the problem. You shouldn’t have been worried. You, out of everyone there, should have been the least worried. I’m every inch the alpha you are, and I earned my place, rather than inherited it.”
Marrok stared at his mate, anger and frustration boiling over, triggering a response that was a damn sight more unnerving—pure, unadulterated need.
Fuck.
He couldn’t peel his gaze away. Her green eyes glowed with anger and power, and her teeth sharpened. Her wolf pushing at her should’ve had him on high alert, but her breasts strained against her vest, nipples erect and begging for his attention. Meanwhile her heart rate was slow and steady, in complete control. And the alpha waves she was giving off, clotting the air, were about the sexiest damn things he’d ever come across. That familiar heavy pulsing shot blood straight to his groin. He’d never been this hard, even in his youth.
Dammit.
Before he could say a word, Tala whipped off the thin gold chain around her waist and snapped it at him. One end of the device coiled around his neck—not too tight, a warning. A demonstration. He winced at the bite of the sting, and he had to tense against the instinctive need to defend himself. Instead, he held still.
So her belt was a whip of some sort? She was always pulling random weapons out of thin air like that. Where the hell did she keep them all?
Despite it being wrong on every level, he wanted her. Tala was fucking incredible, and he needed to claim her. Now. The musky scent of her arousal told him she was equally turned on.
His mate wanted to be in charge? Okay by him. “Prove it.”
Her shoulders stiffened and her eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Show me just how alpha you can be.”
He could see the battle in her eyes. She was angry with him. Angrier with herself for wanting him right now. The second she made her decision, he knew, because her heart rate took off.
She led him by the chain around his neck to the bed, and he went meekly enough. His wolf watched warily, not liking that they were essentially trapped, but also caught up in the desire to claim. At the bed, she spun them both around. With a none-too-gentle shove to the middle of his chest, she toppled him onto the bed. Before he knew it, she was straddling his hips. The chain was off his neck, but before he could touch her, she bound his wrists to the headboard. The coils of the whip wound tighter when he tugged against them.
His wolf growled low inside his head, but no urge to shift and protect himself came over him. At the same time, his cock swelled.
Tala made quick work of his belt and zipper and peeled his pants down his body, tossing them on the floor. Before he had any clue what she was up to, with no teasing or warning, she wrapped her mouth around him and sucked hard.
Marrok practically came off the bed. A groan ripped out of his throat as she took him deep, surrounding his shaft with heat and pressure and…fuck she looked so beautiful. She pulled back, releasing him with a pop, but then ran her tongue up and down his shaft, circling the head each time. Then back into her mouth. He moved his hips, and she let him pump in and out of her. Faster and faster. Before he could explode inside her, however, she released him, a wicked grin on those now swollen lips.
“Tala.” His wolf howled inside his head.
She ignored his plea as she slowly slipped her dress over her head, then discarded her bra. The sight of her pink-tipped breasts about sent him over the edge. Then she shoved off him to stand beside the bed and shimmied out of her panties. Every inch of her delectable body was uncovered, and every nerve in his body throbbed and strained for her. The coils around his arms tightened, holding him fast.
She straddled his legs again, but not where he wanted her. He bucked, trying to make her move higher.
Tala grinned. “Do you want to touch me?”
“You know I do.”
Her eyes widened at the wolf-roughed timbre of his voice, obviously aware of the edge he rode. The change rippled under his skin, but he held it back.
“Where?” she asked.
He swallowed, and his eyes dropped of their own accord.
“Here?” she purred. She raised her own hands to knead her breasts. She tossed her head back as she plucked at her nipples with her fingers.
“Tala.” Her name ripped out of his throat.
She lifted her head. “More?”
He doubted he could take much more.
“Maybe here?” While keeping one hand on her breast, she trailed the other down her flat belly to the apex of her thighs.
A small whimper escaped her as she touched herself.
Ours, his wolf snapped in his head.
“Stop,” Marrok demanded. As much as it turned him on to watch her, giving her pleasure was his right as her mate. He should be the one touching her.
Those gorgeous green eyes twinkled at him. “Or what?”
Did she just challenge him? He’d show her who was in charge now. With all the strength his form afforded, he strained against the bindings until the chain dug painfully into his skin. What had she tied him up with?
He was so focused on breaking free so he could show his mate who was boss, he didn’t notice her moving until she sank onto his shaft in one long stroke. His body jerked under her and he stopped struggling, his entire attention on what she was doing.
Tala continued to touch her own body as she rode him—her strokes long, deep, and torturously slow. In that instant, he and his wolf forgot the need to dominate, too wrapped up in the sensuous moves of her body, the erotic image of her hands as they played across her skin, and the sensation of every motion as she fucked him.
Gradually she increased the pace. Her lips fell apart as she panted her need, her own release as close as his. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and pinned him with a look that was pure alpha.
“Now,” she commanded.
Damned if his body didn’t obey, his orgasm slamming through him in waves. At the same time, she screamed as her body clamped around, milking his cock. Tala continued to ride him as the waves crested through them both over and over, easing until they collapsed together, their ragged breathing the only sound in the room.
With languorous movements, she reached up, and with barely a touch, the coils unwound from his arms. He needed to ask her where she got that thing. She lay her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arm
s around her, both he and his wolf oddly content, despite the fact that another alpha had dominated them both.
The conversation was far from over. He knew that. But, for now, he and his mate rested quietly, bodies still intimately connected.
An unfamiliar warmth built inside him—happiness and satisfaction mixed with something else, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what. A deeper emotion he was strangely reluctant to identify. Certainly a sensation he’d never fully experienced. His wolf gave a pleased hum as Tala curled into him more.
His mate certainly kept him on his toes—alpha in charge one second, vulnerable woman in his arms the next.
He pulled her closer and shut his eyes. They’d figure out the rest later.
Chapter Seven
Sun stole through the blinds, illuminating their room. Marrok rolled over in bed, reaching for Tala only to find her side empty, the mattress still warm under his fingertips, her wildflower scent all over him.
With a frown, he propped himself up on one elbow. “Tala?”
His answer was the click of the bathroom door lock followed by the hiss of the shower. Nothing about that should have tipped him off, but Marrok’s wolf went on alert. Not pacing, but ears pricked and focused entirely on that door and the woman behind it.
Unable to just lie in bed, Marrok got up and dressed quickly, all the while his mind churning over what had happened yesterday and last night. Another click had him turning to face the bathroom. Tala emerged dressed, her usual elegant self in black slacks and a frilly white blouse, a different pair of stilettos on her feet, and hair pulled back in a knot at the base of her skull. Not a weapon in sight, except that gold belt again. It appeared so innocuous in its present form around her waist.
He knew different.
Without a word or glance his way, his mate moved to the wardrobe, where she pulled out her large suitcase and hefted it onto the bed, which squeaked its protest. Still ignoring him, Tala pulled a hunk of clothes out of her closet and started carefully and meticulously packing.
Marrok…was not entirely sure how to deal with this.
She didn’t pause as he stood there like a useless ass and watched. “I think we’re going about this wrong,” she said. “Pushing too fast. I will send half my people to live in your territory for the next six months. The weaker half. You send me yours.”
His wolf paced in his head as Marrok crossed his arms. Somehow, he knew a kicker was coming. “Sounds like a plan. Mix everyone up in both territories.”
She didn’t look his way, simply continued with her task.
“And where will we stay? Part time at your place and part time at mine?” he asked.
“I’ll stay at my place.” Now she stopped packing and looked him directly in the eye. “If you want a place in my bed, you’ll have to earn it.”
If he didn’t know better, he’d swear the pit in his stomach was panic. Tala meant what she said. He didn’t need instinct or the still flimsy mating bond connecting them to realize that on his own.
Dammit. He’d hoped maybe the connection developing between them in the bedroom—just last night, she’d allowed him to hold her through the night after sex that had stolen his reason and will—might have helped outside the bedroom. Not fixed things, exactly, but soothed their issues.
His wolf raised his hackles. So did Marrok. The urge to cross the room and get in her space battled with common sense. The anger pouring off his mate in waves kept him where he was.
He’d witnessed firsthand what she could do in a fight. He knew better than to piss her off more. Instead he crossed his arms and planted his feet wide. She’d have to get around him to leave. “Is this about the alpha thing?”
Her hands paused in her task. “The alpha thing,” she muttered, more to herself. Then straightened to shoot him an unimpressed glare. “Yeah. It’s about the alpha thing.”
Anger bubbled up over his panic. “Have you disagreed with any of my decisions?”
Emotion darkened her eyes to emerald, and her shoulders fell before she turned back to her packing. “That’s not the point,” she said quietly.
The disappointment lacing her voice was like a spike to the heart. This was on him. He knew that. But none of his actions, not one, were intended to cause problems. They came from who he was as alpha and as a mate. He tried to be respectful, take her into account, make sure his decisions were fair. Any time he thought she might disagree, he discussed it with her. They couldn’t discuss every fucking little thing. They’d get nowhere that way. Was that really what she wanted?
“I thought… Maybe after last night…” He ran a hand through his hair.
A flash of regret disappeared behind a wall of steel in her eyes. “Great sex doesn’t fix everything. Sometimes, it’s just sex.”
Just sex? That was it for her? What the fuck was he supposed to do now? No one had ever found him lacking his entire life. Marrok opened and shut his mouth, unable to process his reaction. He was a proven alpha. He’d made decisions, and he wouldn’t apologize for that. What’s more, he’d protected his mate. Or tried to.
Before he could form a response, Tala’s cell phone rang. Her expression showed zero surprise as she picked it up.
His extra-sensitive hearing picked up Astra’s voice on the other end. “I got your text.”
“And you’re ready to go?”
“The car will be here in twenty.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
She was leaving now? Before they had a chance to talk about it? No. Just hell no.
Tala moved away, though she kept her gaze trained on him warily. Hurt and disappointment joined shock and fury. His mate didn’t trust him. Maybe didn’t want him. Marrok’s wolf, who’d been silently watching, now raised his head and howled. The empty sound was a pure reflection of Marrok’s own reaction.
He had done this.
Fix, his wolf insisted.
Marrok agreed, determination wrapped around all the other emotions bombarding him. He had to fix this.
At the same time, he had no doubt he couldn’t make her stay. Marrok turned away and closed his eyes, reaching for a calm so elusive, it felt as though he was trying to hold sand in a sieve. But he had to do something.
Think, dammit. How could he find some way to connect with his mate? Get them on the same side? Them against both their respective packs?
The world around him stilled with the thought.
When did it turn into me against my pack?
The question hit square in the chest, robbing him of the ability to breathe right for a few long seconds. Because he knew exactly when. Love hadn’t been a part of the bargain for them, but suddenly, he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.
I love her.
He didn’t know when Tala had captured his heart. The strong, independent, fierce woman who hid beneath a façade of icy control and couture clothing had won him, heart and soul. All the signs had been there—his wolf’s approval of her, his need to claim, to protect, to care for a woman who pushed him away at every turn. Despite their obvious physical connection, which couldn’t be all pheromones, he had no idea if love even made her radar. Worse, if the troubles she had with her pack were any evidence, “worthy” was not a word he’d apply to himself.
That changed now. Though he wasn’t sure how.
Especially not when both sides were watching with such suspicion, especially her people.
Marrok sucked in a breath, straightening. “I’ll meet you at the car. Don’t go before I get there.”
He turned to find her watching him with a posture that screamed wariness. “You’re not going to fight me on this?” she asked.
Of course he was, but he needed more than just words right now.
“Promise me?”
After a brief hesitation, she nodded. “You have my word.”
Thank the gods for small mercies. Marrok turned and left the room. Determination straightened his spine as he hurried to put his plan into action. He would fix this.
He’d make sure they could lead together…or he’d give up his position as alpha.
…
I’m doing the right thing.
Her new mantra. Maybe if she repeated it enough times in her head, she’d believe it. He hadn’t been wrong about their physical connection growing, not that she’d tell him that. But her intense attraction to Marrok was dangerous so long as the imbalance in their alpha roles remained. They needed to stay apart until they figured that out.
Tala exited the foyer already knowing her mate stood outside waiting beside her sister. His scent reached her in the elevator.
Tala did her best not to twitch uncomfortably at the light in his eyes. The truth was, she was still pissed at him. She’d been pissed last night, too, but the second they touched, her body had taken over. Hell, even right now, if he touched her, she’d probably melt into a puddle at the damn man’s feet. This need for him was a complication she hadn’t counted on.
Her wolf tried to ignore how incredible he smelled—woodsy, earthy. Alpha. He gave off such an air of confidence, she couldn’t help but respond to it. At the same time, Tala’s heart twisted inside her, as though he’d reached into her chest and crushed it in those big hands that had been instruments of pleasure since the moment of their mating.
He was letting her go.
Irritation followed on the disappointment, like sandpaper to her skin. This was what she wanted. Hadn’t she been telling him to listen to her? She couldn’t get upset about him finally doing just that.
Or was this what he’d wanted all along? Her out of the way.
With a huff, her wolf turned away and lay down in her head. Her animal was still angry, too, apparently.
No that wasn’t it.
Tala had observed her wolf’s reactions closely since trying to take a hunk out of Marrok—her animal side was attracted to their mate, respected him, but resented him, too. Enough that she couldn’t be trusted around him. Why? Because he was too alpha for her?
