by Celia Kyle
Two guards led the way, the Captain being one of them, while three followed, including her personal gun-slinger and the Lieutenant. From what she could tell, they were being protected by the best of the Ruling Alpha’s soldiers.
Gah. Ruling Alphas. She still hadn't quite gotten over their position. She was a freaking administrative assistant and totally not “ruling anything” material. She’d been expecting a minor set of wolves. Guys that led a pack in Podunk and didn’t need a badass woman at their side.
Scarlet took a deep breath. That didn’t matter. Fate, or whatever, decided she was supposed to mate the men at her sides, and she would do just that.
Their entourage paused at the elevators, all of them stilling as they waited for the car to arrive. They didn’t have to wait long, and the low ding announced its arrival. Fitting into the metal box took a bit of finagling, but eventually the eight of them packed into the small space. This time, the five wolves encircled them while Scarlet, Keller, and Madden had the wall at their backs. Her men repositioned themselves with ease, telling her without words that this was a regular occurrence.
Great. Something fun to look forward to for the rest of her life.
They arrived at the top floor and one of the guards used a special key and card to gain entrance.
Lord, there she found even more guards.
“Seriously?” She’d whispered the words, but every wolf turned their attention to her. Damn furry hearing.
Madden chuckled and then let out a pained groan. It pulled her focus from the surrounding men and back to her mates.
“Okay, Misters, let's get you to bed.” Madden’s gaze paled to a light yellow, and she rolled her eyes. “To get clean and heal. I need some alcohol and gauze and—”
“Alpha Mate?” The low voice of her personal guard reached her. “They’ll be fully healed in twelve hours or so. There’s no need to worry.”
Scarlet spun on him and growled, curling her lip. Damn, her mates had rubbed off on her, making her act more wolfy than human. “And I want them clean and treated. Healing or not, I need to give them what comfort I can.” She snapped her fingers. “Hop to it.”
That got the men moving. One guard led them to a large bedroom, a massive king-sized bed occupying the center. To the left, she spotted the open door of a bathroom and guided her men in that direction.
She wondered why two Alphas, presumably straight, would share a bedroom and bed, but…
Keller’s whimper drew her attention, his wolf pausing half way between the room’s entrance and the bathroom.
Brow furrowed, she looked between their destination and her hesitant mate.
“He doesn’t want to shower as a wolf and he doesn’t have the energy to shift yet. Nobody likes the scent of wet dog.” Madden’s words were peppered with low, wheezing gasps.
Keller exposed a fang, a deep growl coming from his chest.
Scarlet growled back. “You’re getting your furry little ass in that bathroom and that’s all there is to it.” A barely audible, strangled sound came from the doorway, but she ignored it. “I am not getting anywhere near a bed until you two are clean and comfortable. Period.” Keller opened his eyes wide, giving her the sweetest puppy dog look. So much for objecting to being considered a dog. “Don’t give me that. No naked fun without being clean. I don’t know when you’ll be well enough to shift, but wouldn’t you rather already be blood-free when it happens? We can nap and then you guys may be ready for claiming.” She crossed her arms and frowned, watching her four-legged mate.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and Madden’s heat blanketed her. “Do you want to risk missing out? I’ll be making our little mate scream as she comes on my tongue and you’ll be stuck showering.” He traced her ear, and she shivered. She was a total wolf-whore. For them only, but whore-esque none the less.
Keller growled, but limped past them, moving with determined strides.
Scarlet one, furballs zero.
She figured she wouldn’t get to win often with two dominant wolves in the house, so she’d take pleasure in the small victory.
* * *
A soft knock woke her. Or rather, a soft knock followed by surround sound rumbling growls. She smacked their chests in turn, careful of their injuries, and the noise ceased.
“Stop it.” She rolled her eyes. “If they wanted to hurt us, do you think they would have knocked?”
The men turned to her, both sets of eyes glowing in the sparse light.
“Don’t want anyone to see you.” Keller’s words were a garbled mess, but she managed to decipher them. Apparently her mate was easygoing when it came to anything but her. At least he was human once again. She had to be thankful for that fact.
“And that’s why they tapped on the door. It’ll give us a chance to get decent before we let them in. Besides, I’m in your clothes. What are they gonna see?” They’d wanted her naked, but she’d negotiated and ended up in a pair of Keller’s boxers and Madden’s t-shirt.
If they couldn’t feel her skin, she had to wear their scent, and that was final.
If she had to wear their clothes, then they were taking a two hour nap to heal, and that was final.
Sighing, she scooted to the end of the bed and frowned at them when their growls grew in volume.
“Stop it.” Hey, they listened. Well, that’d come in handy. “You feel like swinging free in front of your guards?”
Scarlet opened the door to allow a wolf to push a table laden with covered dishes into the room. He kept his gaze averted, and she noted a faint tremble going through his body.
She also realized Madden was back to being growly. “For the love of God, Madden, quit it.” The guard gasped, but she kept on going. “He’s feeding me. You should say ‘thank you.’ And if that’s too hard, the least you could do is not growl at the poor wolf.”
Thank goodness for her lessons from her mother. If she let the wolves get away with anything from the get go, they’d act like that for the rest of their lives. There was no way she could deal with snarly men every day.
“Don’t like him close to you.” She heard the grumble.
“Then you should have gotten dressed and beat me to the door.” She gave the wolf a wide smile. “Thank you for bringing dinner. I’m sure they appreciate it even though they’re cranky when they just wake up.”
The guard’s Adam’s apple traveled down his throat in a slow procession and, even without a wolf’s extra senses, she could tell he was nervous. “You’re welcome, Alpha Mate.” He bowed. Well, half-bowed since Keller decided to growl then.
The guard spun then practically ran to the door and out of the room. Scarlet turned toward her mates, the men still wrapped in blankets. “What’s your problem?”
“We don’t like anyone close to you.”
“Then you should have gotten out of bed. Didn’t we just have this conversation? I know we just had this conversation.”
Madden shrugged. “We’re trying not to overwhelm you.”
She tightened her lips and turned to Keller. “Your idea?” The wolf blushed. “I want you guys as you are. You don’t get to modify each other’s reactions. That’s my job. Even then, I won’t be trying to change you, just keep you from killing anyone. With me, you can be yourselves.” She propped her hands on her hips. “Did you guys not get the Marked Handbook?”
That earned her two wolfish smiles.
“Being ourselves means dragging you to bed and making you ours.” Keller’s smile was wicked and matched Madden’s.
Scarlet took a step back, shaking her head. “Nope, no nooky until you’ve eaten and we can check your wounds. Plus, talking would be a good idea. Fun even. Like, gee Scarlet, how has this mating disrupted your world?” She answered herself. “Well, I have to give up my job as an administrative assistant as well as my life in Tampa, that’s all. Maybe my cat. Will you eat my cat? Burger is really sweet when he’s not peeing on things.”
The reality of her situation hit home and panic
slithered along her veins. She’d really, truly, holy shit-ly be giving up her life for these two men. Fear and excitement fought, and she wasn’t sure which emotion was winning. At the moment, it resembled an even tie.
She ignored their expressions, the difference between the two easily visible. Keller’s sadness and regret. Madden’s hunger for her and confusion. She was going to have her hands full with these two.
Pretending they weren’t tearing her apart with the upheaval of her life, she turned to the table and peeked beneath the covers. She set aside the metal domes as plate after plate of food was revealed. Steaks, salads and sides covered every inch along with a note indicating dessert could be found on a shelf below the tabletop. Yum.
The rustle of cloth told her that the men had decided to get up, but she kept her gaze averted. One look at their chiseled bodies and she’d be a goner, her snit forgotten. She padded toward a small seating area and snagged a chair. The wolf had placed their meal before a set of club chairs, and she decided her mates could take those while she remained opposite them. If she got within touching distance, they’d take control, and all she’d be able to think about was them claiming her.
Nope, they had issues to discuss. Their relationship and then… Whitney. And her cat.
Not necessarily in that order. Once they got onto discussing their mating, it’d probably go downhill and end in bed.
Right, Whitney first.
Scarlet settled into her straight-backed seat and waited, noting the pause in the rustle coming from behind her, but her wolves soon appeared.
Both men shot her longing looks but eased into their chairs. She noted they wore boxers. Well, at least she’d only be tempted by their chests.
“Um…” Madden cleared his throat.
Scarlet cut into her steak. Medium-rare. Perfect.
“Uh…” Keller looked so uncomfortable. Poor guy.
She popped a hunk of beef into her mouth and moaned around the bite. It melted like butter over her tongue. A glance from beneath her lashes showed that both of her mates’ gazes were intent on her mouth.
“So, you’re, uh, an administrative assistant? How long have you been doing that?” Madden’s voice was strangled, as if he could barely breathe.
“Since college.” She shrugged. “I’ll be honest, I was pissed you guys haven’t even stopped to get to know me. I mean, I know we’re mates. I get it. But I don’t even know your middle names or favorite color. Where do you live? When were you going to tell me you’re the Ruling Alphas?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Being Marked is… It’s hard. I’ve had this thing since I was born, and it meant my life was always in limbo. I went to college, but I rushed because I wasn’t sure when I’d meet my mates and even if they’d let me finish and get my degree. I didn’t know when I’d have to move. Where I’d have to go.”
She sought to calm her ragged nerves. “I’ve lived for thirty years, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Gabby is the same way, but at least her job allows her to telecommute. Plus, there was the fear of dealing with two men, two wolves, for the rest of my life. I never went looking for my mates simply because I was scared. I wasn’t looking forward to mating. Why do you think I’ve never attended a Gathering? And don’t get me started on Whitney. Your witches got her all wrong.”
Keller frowned. “I never realized. I mean, we never actually thought about what it’d be like for the women.” He shook his head. “Your life had to be a shade of hell, Scarlet.”
She shrugged, unwilling to wallow in her pity party. “No worse than any other Marked’s I suppose. It sucks, but it is what it is.”
Madden piped up. “No, it doesn’t have to be. The urge to mate is intense, I admit that, but we can work together to make the transition easier.”
Scarlet held up her hand. “No, it’s not horrible. When I met you, the Mark woke and let me know you belonged to me. By dinner,” she blushed, heat surging to her cheeks, “I was, uh, ready to cement things. But encouraging wolves to be a little understanding would probably help things when it came to your mates. I’m not saying everyone’s life is like mine. Hell, there are probably plenty of women who are eager to abandon everything in a blink for their mates. And then there are others who will have a hard time.”
She thought of Whitney, her poor sister who’d gone through life wishing for a Mark only to have the world play some cosmic joke. “We need to talk about Whitney, too.” Scarlet took another bite of her steak, suppressing the urge to groan at the taste. Her mates looked on edge already. “She doesn’t have a Mark, but she was summoned to the Gathering. It’s cruel. She worked through the disappointment and jealousy of Gabby and I having Marks while she didn’t, and then she got that stupid letter. She can’t mate a single wolf because they mate with other wolves, but she’s not Marked for an Alpha pair either. And yet, she’s here. And if those witches are somehow going to pair her with a pair, those men better be God’s gift to wolves or I’ll shoot them myself.” She frowned to make sure they knew she was serious.
“Are you certain she doesn’t have a Mark?” Keller’s voice was low, soothing yet disbelieving.
“She’s been my sister for thirty years and has spent all of them wishing she had a Mark like me and Gabby. She never gave up looking, hoping she’d be a late bloomer, even though they are on our skin from birth. We do everything together. Except this.” She shuddered. “And I’ve seen more of Whitney’s parts every year than I care to mention while she double checks to see if she has one.”
Keller and Madden shared a look, and she sensed they were engaged in a mental conversation. She couldn’t wait to share that with them, complete their mating and be able to have those intimate, private talks.
Madden turned back to her. “We don’t use witches, we use Wardens. They’re wolves, but…not. We’ll talk with them when they arrive tomorrow. She’ll need to be, uh, examined—”
“By a female wolf.” That was non-negotiable. She wasn’t about to let her sister be manhandled by some stranger.
Keller nodded. “Okay, a female wolf.”
She relaxed, letting go of the tension she’d been carrying. “Good.”
Madden reached across the table and covered her hand with his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We’re mates, Scarlet. Probably not very good ones so far, but we want to do everything we can to make you happy. That includes taking care of your family. They belong to us, just as you do.”
Some of the tension she’d been carrying dissipated. She recognized the truth in his words and relaxed. They could do this. Would do this.
Keller mirrored his partner’s position, tugging her fork free and twining their fingers together. “And we’ll work on merging our lives. Merging, not taking over. Your happiness is more important than anything. Ever.”
Oh. Oh, wow. It was more than she’d hoped for when she thought of mating and this…
“Okay.”
“Okay?” Hope sparkled in Madden’s eyes.
She took a deep breath. “Yeah, okay.”
“Good.”
“What about my cat?”
Madden rolled his eyes. “We promise not to eat the spawn of Satan.”
She snorted but nodded. “Good.”
Keller gave her a wicked, wicked smile. “Now, I vote we finish our conversation in bed.”
Butterflies took up residence in her stomach, but she allowed the men to lead her from the table, dismissing their half-finished meals. In a handful of steps, they were before the massive bed, and her mates urged her onto the soft mattress.
They settled on each side of her, both wolves staring down at her as if she were the tastiest treat. Heat unfurled in her belly, slinking along her nerves and warming her. She squirmed, working to alleviate the sudden ache between her thighs.
Madden, the more aggressive of her mates, leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips. When he pulled away, she followed him, raising and chasing that mouth.
A cocky chuckle was his only response. �
��Not yet, sweet. We need to get you naked first.”
A sliver of unease stole into her.
“Hey, none of that.” Keller nuzzled her. “I don’t know why you’re worried, but you are the most beautiful.” Kiss. “Delectable—”
“Fuckable?” Madden’s voice filled her other ear, and she heard Keller’s growl.
Suddenly their heat left her, and her two mates glared at each other.
“What? It’s true.” The wolf looked so disgruntled that she reached up and stroked his shoulder, noting the heat of his skin beneath her fingertips.
“Thank you, Madden.”
That earned her a small smile. Poor big, gruff guy. Keller seemed to be the charmer of the two, leaving her growly mate to stumble along in his wake. She’d have to be sure to show the man how much he meant to her, rough edges and all.
She let her hand travel north, digits slinking into the hair at the base of Madden’s skull, and she tugged him back to her. She urged him closer, pulled until his lips were against hers.
Then it became his show. He growled and slipped his tongue into her mouth, licking and lapping at her. Flavors filled her, and she sought out more of his taste, searched for the essence of her heated mate. Moaning against his invasion, she suckled him and swallowed his groan.
They mimicked what was to come: the thrust and retreat of a seductive dance. His kiss alone aroused her, and then hands became involved.
Beneath Madden’s assault, Keller’s palms slid over her thighs, fingers hooking into the waist of her boxers. The room’s cold air assailed her, stroked her exposed body.
“So pretty.” Keller stroked her legs, dancing from hips to knees and back again, urging her to part her thighs. When had he moved? “So fucking gorgeous. You should see her pussy, Madden.” A rough cheek scraped her inner thigh. “All wet and pink for us.”
His words, more than his touch, aroused her further. Warm puffs of air bathed the juncture of her thighs, his heat adding to the desperate burn of her cunt. Her hips twitched and jerked of their own volition, searching out his touch.
A low chuckle came from between her legs, but she didn’t have a moment to dwell on the sound.
