“I never knew what hell was until the day I realized I couldn’t have you.”
She placed her hands on his hips. “No one said you couldn’t have me. I’m not as fragile as you seem to think I am.”
She wanted to recall the words almost the second they’d left her mouth. What was she doing? How many times had she told herself to avoid Ace? And now she was offering herself up to him on a platter? Okay, so it made a difference that she was his mate. The man had gone seven years without a woman’s touch, all because he was being honorable. He couldn’t be so bad if he spoke the truth. And why would a man admit to being celibate if it wasn’t true?
“You don’t know what you’re asking of me.”
Gazing into his eyes, she could see how conflicted he was. “You said I’m your mate. Who better to look after me than you? Why rely on your pack or this town for something you can do yourself? All you have to do is stop avoiding me.”
“I’m a very demanding man,” he said. “You deserve someone with a soft touch.”
“Are you going to beat me?”
“No.”
“Rape me?”
He growled. “Fuck no.”
“Tell me what I can and can’t do?”
“Maybe.”
She smiled at that. “Do you honestly want to see me with another man?”
“The thought of someone else touching you just about kills me,” he admitted.
“Then what’s stopping you?”
“How much have you heard about the pack? About what it’s like to be intimate with one of us?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Other than the lies women have been spreading about you, absolutely nothing. Why does it matter?”
“There are things I crave that you can’t give me, Red.”
“I don’t understand.”
His hand came up to caress her throat. “I want to put more than my mark on you. I want to put a collar around this lovely throat to show the world you’re mine. Something tells me you aren’t the type to kneel before anyone. You may not realize it, but you’re an alpha, too. The two of us are a matched set.”
She felt her pussy clench at his words. Red wasn’t completely ignorant of BDSM. She might not have experienced it, but she’d read about it. Could she do that though? Would he want to tie her up? She wasn’t certain she could handle being held down, not after…
“I see the doubts in your eyes,” Ace said. “Come on, Little Red. I’ll walk you home.”
She allowed him to tuck her under his arm and walk her back through the woods toward town. Ace had given her a lot to think about. If she was truly his mate, she wanted to be with him. But could she give him what he wanted? Could she be what he needed? Red prided herself on being a strong woman. She’d had to be, but she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to be the woman Ace needed as his mate.
Chapter Two
Ace had dropped Red off at her apartment and had promptly headed toward his Beta’s house. He wanted to make sure the three wayward pups had reported to Rook for their punishment. After seeing the shadows in Red’s eyes, he vowed to make sure the three youngsters paid for their transgressions. He’d been very specific about the way in which she was to be treated, and they had blatantly disregarded him. When he’d seen her running through the woods, terrified, he’d wanted to do nothing more than wrap himself around her sweet body and guard her from whatever demons were chasing after her. When he’d seen it was his own pack, he’d nearly lost it.
Not bothering to knock, Ace pushed open the door and stepped inside. The house was eerily silent as he went room by room looking for Rook. He was about to leave when he heard booted steps on the back porch. He jerked open the back door and saw his grim-faced Beta.
“Where are they?” Ace asked.
“Where they should be. Locked up.”
“Did they tell you why they did it?”
A shadow crossed over Rook’s eyes and he looked away. Ace stared him down, waiting for his Beta to answer the question. It wasn’t like the man to be evasive.
“They’ve been tormenting her,” Rook finally said. “I think it’s mostly been verbal, but they admitted to touching her, as well.”
“Did they tell you what they were going to do when they caught her in the woods?” Ace suspected, but he hoped Rook wouldn’t confirm his fears.
Rook visibly swallowed and looked everywhere but at Ace. The alpha waited patiently, needing to hear the answer. The thought that those assholes had planned to touch what was his, to defile her that way, was enough to send him on a rampage. He wanted their blood!
“They were going to take turns with her,” Rook admitted.
“And if she said no?”
Rook just stared at him. It was all the confirmation Ace needed. This went beyond a simple punishment. Women were to be protected, especially the alpha’s mate. That they had so blatantly disregarded an order, had been harassing her without his knowledge and had planned to… he couldn’t even finish the thought. It deserved something more…permanent.
“What do you want to do with them?” Rook asked. “Right now they’re chained up. I made sure they wouldn’t even think about sticking their dicks inside a woman for a while.”
Ace arched a brow.
“I drizzled honey on their cocks and let a bunch of ants loose in the room. I figured it was the least they deserved.”
“It’s going to make them angry and they’re going to blame Ruby for their problems.”
Rook smiled. “It isn’t often you call her Ruby. What exactly happened between the two of you in the woods?”
“I realized that I’ve been right all along and we can never be together. I told her what it would be like to be with me and there was fear in her eyes.”
Rook placed a hand on his shoulder. “She’d just been terrified and threatened with rape. You don’t think perhaps your timing was a bit off? Maybe you should give her some time to calm down, show her the pups won’t be a threat to her anymore, and then start to woo your mate. It wouldn’t hurt you to get a little sappy with her. After everything she’s been through, I think it’s the least she deserves.”
“What do you mean by ‘everything she’s been through’?”
Rook looked uneasy. “I thought you knew. About her past, I mean.”
Ace had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the direction of this conversation. He’d done everything in his power to protect Red. Had he failed her somewhere along the way? Had something worse happened to her than her fright tonight? Fear and anger battled inside of him, twisting and turning in his gut, fighting for dominance. Ace tried to push his emotions back, tried to keep from shifting, but he was barely hanging on.
Rook ran a hand through his long hair. “I don’t think you need to hear this right now. You’re already on edge.”
“How bad is it?”
“You’ll be out for blood. And this time, it isn’t pack. If you go after him…”
Him. It involved a ‘him’. Ace’s gut churned with the implication. With the exception of the time Red had dated the jock in high school, he’d made sure the town knew how important she was to him. He’d wanted people watching out for her. Instead, his lack of attention had resulted in her being harmed. And if what he’d learned tonight was correct, she’d been teased and hurt emotionally as well. He’d failed her on so many levels. While he’d thought he was protecting her from himself, he should have been more worried about protecting her from everyone else. He’d thought that being his mate would carry enough weight to keep her safe, but it seemed that his avoidance of her had only caused more problems.
If he wanted to make things right, he’d have to claim her. He just hoped like hell he didn’t fuck it up. Ace knew he was a dominant asshole and if she’d been harmed in the way he thought, she wouldn’t be up for his brand of entertainment. The fear in her eyes when she’d thought about being tied up now made a lot of sense. Rage boiled through him and he felt his canines lengthen and his claws burst from his fingertips.
“Alpha. Steady.” Rook positioned himself so that he blocked the doorway. “You can’t go tearing the town apart in the name of justice. If no one would listen to her seven years ago, what makes you think they’ll care now? You’ll go to jail. You know what happens to wolves in captivity. Think, man!”
Ace blew out a breath and closed his eyes. His beta was right. He needed to get himself under control. If he lost it and went to jail, Red would be left completely defenseless. Her well-being and her future were far more important than something he couldn’t change. He could, however, spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to her. If she’d let him. After trying to distance himself from her tonight, he’d be lucky if she’d even speak to him.
“Why don’t I send Cameron, Holden, and Brooks over to keep an eye on her tonight?” Rook suggested. “You know they’ll follow orders to the letter.”
“I should be the one to watch over her.”
Rook shook his head. “You aren’t thinking clearly, Alpha. Let the pack take care of your mate tonight. You can seek her out tomorrow to make amends.”
“Fine. Send those three to watch over her tonight. By sunrise, I want a new detail on her. Make sure Dalton and Ennis are prepared to stick to her like glue. Ask Miriam to go, too, for those instances when she goes somewhere only other women can go, like the bathroom.”
Rook raised a brow. “A little overprotective, don’t you think? Surely she won’t come to harm using the restroom.”
“I’m not taking any chances with her. I’ve been too lax, and look what happened. This town is about to have a reckoning if they don’t treat my mate with the respect she deserves. It’s time we taught them how women should be treated.”
“Fair enough. Will you be moving her to your place?”
Ace rubbed the back of his neck, his claws scraping the skin. “I think that might be moving things a little too quickly. Just because I’m determined to claim my mate doesn’t mean I can’t go about it the right way. She needs time to adjust to me, to get to know me better. She’s heard some rumors around town, women spreading lies about having been with me. I need to reassure her that she’s the only one I want.”
“Until she’s safely claimed and living in your home, I’ll make sure someone is with her at all times,” Rook promised. “We should have done it sooner.”
“I thought the pack would rally around her, knowing she was mine. I’ve had my head in the sand for too long, and look at what it cost her.”
Rook shook his head. “It isn’t your fault, Alpha. A few of the women in the pack are friendly with her, but I don’t know that Ruby has a best friend. She’s quiet and keeps to herself, from what I’ve seen.”
“I don’t even know where she works, or what she likes to do in her free time.”
“She likes to read.” Rook smiled. “You can find her under a shaded tree in the park on a sunny day, or sprawled across a blanket on the grass. She has one of those e-reader things, so I have no idea what she likes to read, I just know that she’s always reading something.”
“I guess I’d better start getting to know my mate better.”
“Just because Tate, Ian, and Pierce screwed up doesn’t mean the rest of the pack isn’t behind you one hundred percent. You know the White Paw Pack loves you and will do anything you ask. We’re family, Ace. And as your mate, Ruby is family, too. Make them understand that and they’ll do anything for her.”
“You said she has a few friends in the pack?” Ace asked.
“Davey, Jennessa, and Kit are all friendly with her. I’ve seen some of your other wolves keeping an eye on her when they notice her around town. But only those three that I know of have made friends with her.”
“A pack of over seventy people and only three befriended her?”
Rook shrugged. “It would have been a little strange for someone my age to try and make friends with her.”
Ace glowered at him. “You’re my age. Are you saying I’m too old for her?”
“No!” Rook lifted his hands. “You’re her mate though. It’s different.”
“I’d like to think you’d become friends with her when I claim her. I want her to have someone to go to when she’s in trouble, aside from me. Red needs people she can trust.”
“I’ll make sure the pack welcomes her.”
Ace felt his claws and fangs recede as he finally calmed. He knew he could count on his Beta, and his pack, to do what was right. He might have to give them a little nudge every now and then, but they were a good group. Well, most of them.
“Get some rest,” Rook said. “In the morning, you can decide how you’re going to go about winning your mate’s heart.”
“I have to earn her trust first.”
“Let her get to know you, Ace. If she spends time with you, she’ll see you’re a good man. A bit rough around the edges maybe, but most wolves are.” He smiled. “Unless you’re Monte.”
Ace snorted, thinking about the overly refined wolf. If ever there was a gentleman wolf, it was Monte. The man played several instruments, listened to classical music, spoke three languages, and had the highest I.Q. of anyone Ace knew. When he needed someone book smart, Ace went to Monte for help. If he needed logistics for security, he went to Memphis, the retired marine. Everyone in the pack had something to contribute, even if it was just in a small way.
“Keep me posted on Tate, Pierce, and Ian. I’m not done with them by a long shot. What you’re doing is all well and good, but I want them publically humiliated. I want the pack to know what kind of men they are.”
Rook smirked. “You also want to make an example of them.”
“Yes. No one will ever harm Ruby again. Not on my watch.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow. Get some rest, Alpha.”
Ace left Rook’s house and wandered the streets of Burlison Heights for a while. His path took him by Ruby Red’s apartment, and he was happy to see his wolves in position. He gave them a nod and watched her windows silently for a while. Her apartment was dark and he couldn’t detect any movement inside. Ace hoped she was sleeping peacefully.
Content that his mate was safe, he continued his journey, finally drawing to a halt in front of his house. Never before had he realized how empty his home felt. It was just a building, a place where he rested his head. There was no warmth, no sense of love or peace. It could have been anyone’s house. He hoped that maybe, one day, things would change. With Red by his side, they could fill the place with joy, make it feel the way a home was supposed to feel. Maybe even fill it with children one day. He wouldn’t push her though. He was only thirty-five. It wasn’t like he didn’t have time to become a parent. Ace’s own father had waited until he was in his forties to begin having children.
Of course, his siblings were all part of different packs now. His middle brother, Jaren, had his own pack in Rhode Island. His sister, Lily, was mated to the Beta of a pack over in Philadelphia. And his baby brother, Benji, was off doing God only knew what. The wanderer of the family, his baby brother never stayed in one place for very long. Most wolves required a pack to stay sane, but Benji hadn’t found the place to call home yet. Ace hoped one day his brother would find that sense of peace that a wolf found when he joined the right pack. Maybe he’d even take over someone’s pack someday. Wouldn’t that be something? All of them alphas?
He let himself into the house and didn’t bother flipping on the light. Shedding his clothes as he moved through the house, he climbed the stairs and fell face-first onto his bed. Now that he was determined to claim Red, he felt peace settle over him. He was no longer fighting his instincts, fighting to stay away from her. It felt good to give into his baser urges, give into the wolf.
Soon. Soon she would be his.
Chapter Three
Red blew her hair out of her face and surreptitiously glanced around the room. No, it hadn’t been her imagination. There were no less than three wolves lounging around the library. She’d noticed them when she’d exited her apartment that mornin
g, had noticed them following her, and now they were here. And wouldn’t leave. She had a mind to go up and demand to know what was going on, but something told her Ace was behind it. Was this in response to last night’s events? She’d taken care of herself most of her life. She didn’t need his help all of a sudden.
She jerked the phone off the cradle and was about to dial his number when she realized she didn’t have it. Slamming the phone back down, she grumbled under her breath. It wasn’t that the wolves were bothering her, they were just…there. Red wasn’t used to having people follow her around. Having jumped from one foster home to another, she’d never relied on anyone but herself, and she wasn’t about to change that now. Not even for the alpha.
Red snatched a book off the stack on the edge of her desk and scanned the new barcode before entering in the metadata for the new addition to the library. It wasn’t something she was supposed to be doing since she didn’t have her degree, but the head librarian trusted her. If there was one thing Red was good with, it was data. Cold hard facts made sense to her. The feelings swarming through her every time she thought of Ace didn’t. How could she want someone yet feel the need to keep them at arm’s length?
Finished with the book, she slammed it down on the other side of her desk and reached for another volume. There were thirty new titles to enter, some of them having multiple copies. Ms. Wilburn only ordered books once every two or three months, so when she did place an order, it was usually a large one. The small library just didn’t have the finances to add to the collection every time a new book hit the market. They relied on fundraisers like bake sales, used book sales, and the fees for using the private rooms to buy their materials. As the only library within twenty miles, you’d think they’d have better resources, but the town was more worried about their high school sports teams than the town’s education. Figured. Jocks always won.
“Something wrong?” Ennis asked, as Red slammed another book down.
She glared up at him. “Why are your buddies and you hanging out in here today? You never come to the library.”
Red's Big Bad Wolf Page 2
