The idea intrigued her. Dominant publicly, submissive privately. She liked it. Liked it more than she thought she would. Or should. Shit. She was in trouble if she was giving in so easily. If they were going to make this work—and it was too late to back out now—there had to be some ground rules.
She sank into scalding-hot water, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes with a moan.
The water felt great. Soothing. Relaxing. She was always sore and tired when the heat was over.
This time more than ever, after slaking her desire on two men. She smiled. Who would have thought this would happen to her? Despite her unanswered questions, her concerns, Harris’s potion, despite everything…she’d never felt so sexually satisfied. It went bone-deep, and she wondered how long the effects would linger. She felt languid and sexy here alone in her bath. So good, in fact, she didn’t react at all when Ethan walked in. His scent wrapped around her, bringing the forest and an odd sense of comfort inside.
“Did you get to talk to Kade today?”
She turned her head and cracked an eye open. “I got there right before y’all. I had a ton of stuff to catch up on today.”
He grunted. “Me too.”
“Did you see him earlier?” Something made her ask.
He gave a brief shake of his head and scrubbed his hand over his face. “No.” He sounded down.
“What’s wrong?”
His smile was forced. “Nothing. Not a thing.”
“Liar.”
She expected him to deny it. He laughed, but he sounded more resigned than amused.
“Yeah. It’s just…Kade and I were best friends for so long. I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me for mating his sister.”
She scowled, suddenly suspicious. “That doesn’t sound like him. What did he say after I went inside?”
He flashed her a grin, his amusement a sharp scent in the air, on her tongue. “That if I ever hurt or upset you, he will rip me into tiny little pieces.” She rolled her eyes and stood up, reaching for a towel on the nearby shelf to wrap around herself. “Like I need someone to defend me.”
“Oh, I don’t know, baby,” he drawled, stepping forward and pulling her towel loose. “We could all use someone to stand up for us every now and then.” He first dried her front with slow, soft rubs of the towel, then moved to her back.
“Someone to take care of us,” he whispered against her nape.
Even as her mind rejected the idea, her body responded with a delicious curl of heat. She turned in his arms and looked up at him, for the first time not irritated that she had to look up when she stood this close. He lifted a hand to her shoulder and brushed his thumb over his mark.
The fleeting contact made her heart race and her middle somersault. And, damn the man, he knew it. His smile was sexy and satisfied, his eyes yellowed with an answering heat, and his scent changed to match hers. Spicy. Alluring. Inviting.
“Just the way I like you, darlin’,” Harris said from the doorway. “Naked. And hot.”
As a wizard, he shouldn’t be able to scent her arousal like Ethan could, but she had no idea what his mind was capable of, and she was struck by a sudden curiosity. She tilted her head to one side and studied him. “How do you know I’m hot?” Wasn’t much point in denying it, was there? “I thought you said you weren’t a telepath.”
He shook his head. “No, but sometimes I can feel others’ emotions.” He gave her a cocky grin. “It’s much stronger with you. Always has been.”
“So you know how I’m feeling, but not what I’m thinking?” She didn’t think she liked that idea, but was it any different from Ethan being able to scent her moods?
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“That’s disturbing.”
He looked contrite at least. “I’m sorry, darlin’; nothing I can do about it.” He hesitated a moment, then took her hand and pulled her into the bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed, and he took a few steps back, leaving her confused. She was naked. On a bed.
And neither one of them was making a move.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m going to tell you something, but I don’t want you to freak out, okay?” She arched her eyebrows, suspicion and disquiet making it hard to answer. Making it hard to breath. “Tell me,” she ordered, crossing her arms over her chest when his gaze lingered too long.
“The most powerful of my race can create a mental bond with a person. A mate.”
“And you did this? Is it the same as a lupine bond?” She remembered a surge of power. It had left her feeling branded and connected. The sensation wasn’t much different from the bond with Ethan. He hadn’t even hinted he could bond with her. His keeping that secret from her hurt and made her angry.
He shrugged. “Basically. It’s unbreakable. Lets me know how you feel. I could probably track you through it. In that way, it’s no different from a werewolf’s bond. But mine is based on the power of my mind, not blood.”
Unbreakable. So even after she gave him his week to get to know each other, she didn’t have a choice, did she? There wasn’t any deciding if she wanted more. Like Ethan, he’d taken that decision out of her hands. An angry reply caught in her throat, and she stood, jerking away from his hand when he tried to stop her as she passed. She needed the armor of clothes, needed to get away from them for a while so she could think. She veered away from her closet, though, when a better plan occurred to her. They followed her into the hall and to the back door.
“Whoa, baby, what are you doing?” Ethan asked as she yanked it open, but she was already shifting and couldn’t answer.
Her muscles contracted and reshaped, bones snapped and reformed. Fur raced across her skin, and claws popped from her fingers, which shrank into paws. When Ethan made to follow her, ripping his shirt over his head and unsnapping his jeans, she showed him the sharp points of her teeth in a low, mean snarl. He dropped to his knees and stared into her eyes.
“Fine, baby, go run it off. But when you get back, you’re going to tell us what pissed you off so bad.”
She tossed her head, spun around, and took off into the woods. Scents were easier to pick up in this form, and she knew a group of juveniles cavorted nearby. She went in the opposite direction, deciding she’d run the outer perimeter, where she was much less likely to run into anyone. Where she wouldn’t slip and take her anger out on someone who couldn’t handle it and didn’t deserve it.
As her fast legs took her farther away, she expected her anger to dissipate. It always did when she gave her wolf free reign to master its world. But this time was different. This time the wolf shared the woman’s fury. It felt caged, cornered, and didn’t like it one damned bit. They’d tied her to them without her permission, without even asking. And at the time, in the throes of passion and the thrall of the heat, she hadn’t been capable of protest, much less reasoned thought.
Damn them both.
She pushed them out of her mind, legs stretching to race for the border fence. She let the wildness rise, let the wolf’s joy fill her mind as she tested her limits, and felt them merging together. The forest quieted as she flew by, the chatter of small animals and insects abruptly cutting off, but she barely noticed. When she saw metal gleaming in the sun, tasting the tang of the bitter scent on her tongue, she slowed to an easy lope.
She drew alongside it and chose to go left, taking her farther away from the homes of the pack and Redemption, farther away from civilization. Slowing to a walk, still breathing heavily from her exertions, she lifted her snout and took in the smells. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Animals, pine and hardwoods, wild roses, the faded scent of the last patrol through this area. The wolf would have frowned if possible. The scent was too faded, days old. She made a mental note to review the roster and find out if this area had been overlooked or if someone was shirking their duty. Maybe it was time to rearrange all the patrols. Shake things up a bit. She’d discuss it with Liza tonight.
If she could get free of
Ethan and Harris long enough for a few words with her paladin.
She needed to talk to her. They’d been friends since they could walk, had fought their way up in the pack together. Gabby was the only person who wasn’t surprised when Liza became paladin.
The woman could out stubborn a mule and was loyal to a fault. Paladin was the perfect position for her. Like the legends from Charlemagne’s time, modern-day paladins were werewolves, knights sworn to the defense of their leaders. Though nowadays that meant the pack’s alpha and beta, and instead of many, every pack had only one.
That’s where she should have gone instead of taking off into the woods. Liza understood how she felt about mating, and she might snicker through it, but she’d let Gabby rant to her heart’s content. If it were possible, the wolf would have heaved a sigh. Instead, she turned into the woods and found a path that would take her to the alpha’s house and her best friend.
Her goal wasn’t so far away though. In minutes she reached the large, cleared area they used for gatherings The place was buzzing with activity as pack members set up tables, laughing and joking with each other. Her mood immediately lightened at their joy. The pack was one big extended family, and she always felt better in a group of them.
Liza’s scent came to her on the slight breeze, and she veered in another direction to follow it. She found the woman sitting on a huge boulder, rubbing the small of her back, and grumbling at one of her mates, Caleb, the pack’s alpha.
“I’m pregnant. Not broke.”
Gabby bit back a grin. She knew this was a sore point. One, they kept trying to coddle her.
And two, she wasn’t just pregnant. She was past due, tired, and grumpy. Gabby knew better than to try to assure her friend no one had ever been pregnant forever. Her males were not that bright, and Gabby winced in sympathy when Caleb spoke.
“I know that, but there’s no point in tiring yourself further. The pack can live without your help for one day. The babies will be born any day now, and then you can dive right back in.” Then Caleb muttered, not quite low enough, “Hopefully, any hour now.” Before Liza could strangle him—and judging by the look in her eyes, she really wanted to—Zach walked into the little clearing. He looked to where Gabby was sitting in the trees and grinned, then yanked his shirt off and tossed it toward her.
“You better come help, Gabby. I’ve never heard of a paladin killing his, or her, alpha before, but I’d have to say he asked for it.”
She hurried to shift, tugging her beta’s shirt over her head when she was done. It fell to midthigh, and she walked across the pine-needle-strewn ground to join Liza on the rock. By the time she got there, she had the undivided attention of all three of them. Then, because things weren’t bad enough, Jonas showed up. He looked her up and down, his gaze coming to rest on her neck. With a chuckle, he shook his head.
“So the mighty has finally fallen, huh?”
She couldn’t hold in the growl. “Not fond of having your head attached, huh?” she snapped back.
That just made him laugh more. He was grinning when he stopped and, cocking his head to the side, took a deep breath. “Ethan. And Harris?”
“Well, isn’t that interesting,” Liza said and made a shooing motion with her hand. “Go away, gentlemen. It’s girl-talk time.”
“But I want to hear what she has to say,” Zach—always the teaser—said, but Liza just stared him down.
“Girl talk.”
He assumed a pathetic, pleading face. Laughing, Liza waved her hand at them again, her intent clear. There weren’t any more objections, and all three men went back into the woods in the direction of the pack circle.
“Spill it, girlfriend,” Liza ordered when they were far enough away they couldn’t overhear.
Gabby had no idea where to start. “It just sorta happened.” Liza gave her a frank, assessing look that Gabby was rarely on the wrong end of. It made her fidget uncomfortably.
“Right,” she finally said and lowered her voice. “You said you needed two days off. I know you go to Harris when the heat takes over, but you’ve never let Ethan anywhere near you during that time. You’ve never let him close enough to mark you. Never let the sex get that out of control. So what happened?”
Gabby sighed, but the story started to spill out. Liza halted her with a frown. “He used a potion on you? That’s not cool.”
She snorted. “That’s what I said. He said he’d reverse it if I gave him a week, but then, things got even more intense, and well, it’s too late now. Even if he reverses it, the bond is still there.”
“Yeah. I’ve heard some wizards can do that bonding thing, but it’s uncommon.” Liza looked surprised at that. “They don’t like to leave themselves vulnerable.”
“What do you know about it? How does it make them vulnerable?” She’d take any ammo she could get. Liza was half wolf, born and raised in the pack, but her mother was a witch, and Liza knew a lot about that world.
“Hey,” a voice greeted behind them, and they turned to welcome Harper. “Jonas said y’all were hiding out here.”
Gabby was glad to see her. What Liza and her mom didn’t know, Harper would, being the daughter of the wizards’ leader. Harper came closer and leaned one hip against the rock, brows drawn together in a scowl.
“I was just telling Gabby about wizard bonds.”
Harper’s scowl deepened. “Too late for warnings, I’d say.” Gabby’s chest went tight. Did she need to be warned? But Liza said it made Harris vulnerable too. “Tell me.”
The witches exchanged a look, and Harper shrugged one shoulder. “It’s a psychic bond.
Our worlds are very different. Wizards use that bond to keep track of their wives. They can spy on their emotions, their movements. Sometimes their thoughts, if they have enough telepathic ability.”
Gabby knew Harper had grown up in a cold world, but the way her voice changed, the way her eyes dimmed, Gabby knew it was worse than cold. Monstrous.
“You can…feel this bond?”
Harper bit her bottom lip and nodded. “I can see it, like a shimmer around you.” Liza cocked her head to one side. “Do you see wolf bonds?”
“No. Different kind of bond.”
“Harris said that. One is blood, the other psychic.”
Harper nodded again. “Yes, exactly.”
“And there’s no way to break it?”
“No, sorry. Only if one of you dies.”
“That might be arranged,” Gabby growled.
“Well, let’s not go that far yet,” Liza said and turned to Harper. “Mom said, whether the wizards like it or not, their bonds are not one-sided. That it works for the mate as well.” Harper thought it over. “That would make sense. It’s not something they talk about with women, so I can’t say for sure.” She looked at Gabby. “You could test it, though.”
“How?”
“Focus on him and let everything else go. Don’t let anything else intrude on your thoughts.
You’ve been close to him. You’ve felt his power at least once before. See if you can feel it now.” Gabby was curious yet reluctant. Would she draw his attention to her if she was successful? In the end, she was too inquisitive to not give it a try. She closed her eyes, called his image into her mind, the feel of his power around her, and kind of wished to know where he was.
And suddenly, just like that, she felt that power surround her again. He was in her house, prowling like a pissed-off, worried cat. It startled her so much, she lost the connection and opened her eyes.
“It works.” She grinned, wondering how she could use this to turn the tables on him.
“Okay. So Harris used a potion and both of them marked you. You managed to avoid everyone all day, so I’m still sadly lacking in details here.”
“What potion?” Harper interrupted. She looked more and more disturbed as Gabby explained.
“How much do we know about this guy?” she asked nervously.
“He’s been here at least ten years. Showed u
p when he was seventeen or eighteen.” Liza paused with a shrewd look at Harper. “Jonas trusts him. They’re friends. And Ethan’s been with him for at least a couple of years. But you’re right. It makes me suspicious too. Think you can get a read on him?”
“Probably,” Harper answered.
Liza turned to Gabby. “He’ll be here tonight, right? The gatehouse told me earlier he came in with Ethan.”
She didn’t like it. What he’d done with the potion was sneaky and underhanded, sure. And not asking her before he bonded with her pissed her off, but it wasn’t any different from what most werewolf males did. She wasn’t happy about any of it, but she didn’t think it made him untrustworthy. It hurt to think he might be
“Gabby?” Liza prodded.
She nodded. “He’s at my cabin.” She jumped off the rock. “And I better get back there so I can get some clothes on.”
“Not so fast,” Liza stopped her with that paladin tone in her voice. She pointed at the boulder. “Sit.”
Well, shit. She could walk away from her friend, but not her paladin. She leaned back against the large rock, once again the focus of Liza’s perceptive gaze. “You didn’t avoid me all day, then come find me now because of the potion. I’m guessing it was because you found out about his bond.”
Sighing, she nodded. “Bad enough being mated to one. To a werewolf. But two men? One a wizard? No offense to y’all, but I don’t know what he can do. Or why he’s here. Or anything.” One side of Liza’s mouth kicked up. “Maybe you should ask him.” Gabby glared back.
“Right,” Liza drawled. “That would require that you get to know a male. Let one get to know you. And you’ve worked damned hard to not get involved.” Her voice softened, and she winked. “Honey, it’s not all bad, you know.”
She blew out a breath, reluctant to voice her questions, her concerns, but knowing she could trust Liza and Harper. Knowing they wouldn’t scoff or think less of her. “Do you think it’s possible to be strong and dominant publicly, with the pack. And be something else privately?
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