by Abigail Owen
CHAPTER 4
The trees dripped as if a major storm had recently passed through, the drops making a patting sound against the now muddy earth. Tala had to walk carefully as her heels tried to sink into the softened ground.
She had difficulty controlling her heart rate as images of the intimacy she’s just shared with her mate flashed through her mind on an erotic, and strangely moving loop. He’d gone to so much trouble. For her. He’d taken her with respect, even waited for her to orgasm first. Alpha males could be notorious takers in the bedroom, but Marrok had given himself to her, and she unexpectedly found that…sweet.
A hush descended over the crowd as Tala and Marrok appeared in the clearing where they’d left their people waiting. Then, as if an unseen signal had been given, every werewolf bowed to the alpha pair. Tala held her breath, having never witnessed the like, even at other alpha mating ceremonies.
Perhaps Leia’s demonstration had convinced those assembled? If so, they owed the water nymph. Big time. Tala still couldn’t believe the nymph had done it. Beyond Castor’s friendship with Marrok, Leia didn’t gain much beyond helping end a bloody feud that wasn’t her own. But Tala wouldn’t question the gift they’d been given.
She and Marrok shared a speaking glance, and her wolf stood to attention, ears pricked. Though she couldn’t pin down how she knew, Tala had the distinct impression Marrok wasn’t pleased. Did it go as much against his nature as it did hers to deceive their people this way?
Too late to turn back now. After a pause, Tala and Marrok both lowered their heads in return to the assemblage, then walked through them to lead them all back to their cars. The celebration was set to be held back at the hotel.
As the musky scent of sex wafted over her—a werewolf ceremony involved a lot of sex as the pheromones drove everyone wild—she tried not to think about how everyone could smell the same perfume on her. Private by nature, she’d dreaded her mating with Marrok because of how public the act was.
But he’d made it special for them both. Who knew the alpha of the Banes pack could be thoughtful? Dominant, that side of him had not been a surprise. How turned on both she and her wolf were by his masterful possession of her body had been a hell of a shock.
In the limo, Marrok pulled her close to his side on the bench seat in the back while Castor and Shyla took opposite side seats.
“Was that Leia?” Tala asked as they pulled away from the parking lot, breaking the awkward silence.
“Yes.” Castor didn’t appear happy, his shoulders as tense as the granite slabs of mountain around them as he turned to scan the area they’d left.
Concern coiled in Tala’s belly and her wolf snarled softly. The animal inside her had taken a liking to Castor’s nymph.
“Where is she?” Marrok asked.
Castor glanced out the window again. “I don’t know. She disappeared under a wall of water.”
Tala tensed. We have to go back. No way was she letting Leia deal with this on her own. About to say as much, Marrok beat her to it.
“We should go back.” Marrok reached for the button to lower the window between them and the driver, but Castor shook his head.
“She’s a water nymph, so she can handle it. Besides, she’d be upset if we ruined her effort by giving away the secret to everyone. She’ll be fine.”
Tala hoped that was true.
The rest of the interminable ride was completed in silence. While the worst of the pheromones they gave off had been burnt off during the mating, they’d continue to spew lust-vibes in lessening amounts for a while longer. The next few days would be a constant bombardment of lust, like standing chest deep in ocean waves.
Marrok couldn’t stop touching her—not overtly, just constant contact. Her body itched to touch him back, but her wolf held her back. Strange. After panting after Marrok’s wolf for months, and being an enthusiastic participant in their mating, now her wolf had pulled back.
What’s with you? Tala prodded. But the fickle creature yawned and turned away, shutting Tala out.
Was the wolf pissed she and Marrok’s wolf hadn’t been let out to play? The action wasn’t required during the mating, and most werewolves waited until a later date to do so. That had to be it. Tala made a mental note. First chance they got they’d let their wolves out.
The drive from the small chapel hidden in the mountains to the Stanley hotel wasn’t a long one. The gorgeous hotel where they were staying, and where the reception would be held tonight, sat up above the downtown of Estes Park, Colorado, high enough that you could see all of the buildings. Mountains rose up around them like a cathedral of granite. The hotel itself was stunning—Victorian in style, stark white with red tile roofs. It glowed in the moonlight.
But as the limo pulled up to the front, Tala held back a groan. She’d just experienced the orgasm of her life, her wolf was in a snit, her new friend might be in trouble, and now she had to make nice with both packs, many of whom were against this mating. Not her first choice of things to do at this precise moment. Or ever. She slid a glance to Marrok. Oddly, after tonight, she’d much rather be in his bed, but that was hours and hours away. Being alpha sucked sometimes.
The valet handed them out onto the red velvet carpet. A woman named Sheila, with deep red hair and a come hither light in her eyes, approached. Tala recognized the she-wolf from several of her trips to Marrok’s territory. She barely held back a snarl of warning. Even her wolf perked up, though she didn’t join in Tala’s urge to body check the woman away from her mate.
“Congratulations, Alpha. You as well, Alpha.” Sheila nodded to Tala and Marrok in turn. Then she hooked her arm through Castor’s as he stood beside them. “And who might you be, handsome?”
“Mine,” Leia said from behind them.
Relief warmed Tala as the petite blonde made her presence known. She’d only met the nymph yesterday, and tonight Leia had performed an extraordinary—and risky—stunt. Simulating the signs of a prophecy was no easy task, especially given that she’d had to go against the other nymphs’ wishes and force it.
“I can take a hint.” Laughter lurked in Sheila’s voice as Castor’s attention fully focused on Leia. Tala mentally reevaluated. Perhaps Sheila didn’t deserve a jealously-driven maiming after all. These damn pheromones had a lot to answer for. Weren’t they supposed to ease up now?
Giving Castor and Leia privacy, Marrok took Tala’s hand and led her inside the hotel and through a set of double doors off to the right. There they paused as a hush fell over the room. On cue, Marrok’s second-in-command, Rafe, took the mic.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Banes and Canis families, I present your newly mated Alphas, Marrok and Tala Banes.”
Tala pasted a smile across her lips, one she hoped to heaven came off as sincere. This week of revelry celebrating their mating had the potential to be civil, as it had been thus far, and she’d do her part to set the tone. However, a great deal of bloodshed was equally possible.
She and Marrok walked hand-in-hand into a large ballroom stuffed with paranormal creatures of all sorts, though mostly werewolves in their human forms. Those who had yet to master holding off the change during a full moon had remained in the woods where they’d mated. Windows graced one full wall of the ballroom, with a view of the mountains. Along the opposite wall the original bar stood, mahogany and intricately carved. A dance floor had been set up at one end, and the rest of the room was dotted with large, round tables set with fancy linens and china. Large bouquets of flowers graced each table, filling the room with the sweet fragrance of spring, helping to mask the natural outdoorsy scent put off by the large gathering of werewolves.
As they wound their way through the room to the head table, Tala caught the whispered comments. “Could the prophecy be true?” “Will they change everything?”
Good. Leia’s effort hadn’t been for naught, and members of both their packs were, perhaps, more on the fence about the wisdom of this mating. She and Marrok could use every scrap of he
lp if this was going to work.
With gentlemanly manners, Marrok seated her before himself. Tala resisted the urge to scowl, and her wolf gave a snap of irritation. As an alpha, even being treated with old-fashioned manners a man shows a woman could be seen as a sign of weakness by those who opposed her. Consequently, after Marrok sat, she reached over and shook out his napkin, laying it in his lap with a dainty flick of her wrist. He flicked her a glance, but she wasn’t entirely sure he got the message.
“My, my, my,” a deep male voice intoned from behind them. “I thought that was you earlier, Lyleia.”
Tala shared a quick glance with Marrok as Kaios, the oldest of the werewolves, approached. His age and rank meant Kaios was seated in a place of honor at their table, along with Shyla, Castor, and his date, Leia. How did Kaios know Leia?
The nymph didn’t so much as twitch, other than to plaster a fake smile on her lips. “Kaios.”
“How lovely to see you after all this time.” The werewolf leaned to kiss her cheek.
“Touch me and I’ll stab you with my fork.” Leia delivered the threat with her polite smile in place and a friendly tone to her voice.
Whoa! Tala gave Leia a mental fist pump. Kaios was a self-absorbed prick. She hadn’t been thrilled when he accepted the invitation. Marrok tensed beside her, but neither uttered a word, both letting the situation play out.
For his part, Kaios froze, took a moment to assess how serious Leia was, and apparently concluded she meant it.
“I took the liberty of moving your seat as far away from mine as possible.” Leia glanced meaningfully across the table.
Marrok choked back a laugh, and Tala flicked him a surprised glance. Most alphas tended to be overly serious, but the deep laugh lines around Marrok’s eyes spoke of an inherent playfulness. That could be both good and bad. She’d wait and see.
Kaios’s lips flattened. “Still high and mighty. Even without your spring, hmmmm?” He made his way around the large round table to the opposite side. Asshat.
Castor placed a proprietary hand at the nape of Leia’s neck and the two focused on each other, lost to the room around them. Tala shifted in her seat, trying to relieve the tension that look incited in her own body. She’d left their cave satiated, but a strange desire overtook her. What would it feel like to have Marrok look at her that way? She jumped imperceptibly when her mate laid a hand on her knee, his heat warming her skin through the thin silk of her dress. Then, slowly, deliberately, he moved his hand higher. The heat pooled low in her belly, and her body throbbed. Was he going to--?
His hand inched high until he brushed the sensitive, now pulsing, juncture of her thighs. That puddle of orgasmic goo she’d been concerned about earlier became a distinct possibility now.
“How do you like being an Executive Assistant, Lyleia?” Condescension oozed through Kaios’s question in a way Tala didn’t like. Nor did she care for his formal-yet-patronizing use of Leia’s full name. Irritation and blazing desire battled for her immediate attention.
With an obvious effort, Castor and Leia pulled their focus back to those at the table, all of whom were waiting for an answer. Leia cleared her throat. “I love it. Cas is the best boss I’ve ever had. Challenging, fair, and worthy. And the work is fascinating.”
“It certainly appears as though you enjoy him.”
Tala tensed, but Marrok leaned closer, to murmur in her ear in his deep, raspy voice—like a roll of thunder. “Easy, tiger. Castor and Leia can handle it.” His fingers continued to tease and Tala missed Leia’s reply to Kaios.
Thanks to Marrok’s distracting actions, she barely caught Castor’s add- on. “And she’s an amazing assistant. I expected nothing less when I went to Legendary Consultants to find her.”
“You know Delilah?” Tala perked up at the mention of her friend. At the same time, she clamped her thighs tightly around Marrok’s wandering fingers, unable to take his brand of foreplay. In a minute she’d straddle the man and be damned who witnessed them. He emitted a soft choking sound as she pinned his fingers in an awkward position.
Castor nodded in response to her question. “She found Leia for me.”
Tala gave him a polite smile. “She’s fantastic.”
“She must be a fantastic pimp,” Kaios said with a sneer.
Tala’s wolf snapped her jaws inside her head. Once she decided she liked someone, no one messed with that person. Apparently Leia had been afforded such an honor. The list was a short one.
Castor leveled a hard glare on the wolf. “You may be a guest of honor, but watch it.”
“Or what, demigod?” the were spat.
“Cas. He’s not worth it,” Leia whispered, giving the sleeve of his tux a tug.
The waiter appeared and set down a steak in front of the Kaios. The hearty aroma of meat floated across the table, and her mouth watered. Castor flicked a hand and lightning shot from his fingertip, zagging across the table and hitting the wolf’s plate. The tang of burnt ozone mixed with the smoky scent of charred meat. What had been a rare piece of meat was now black and crispy.
Silence followed his small demonstration of power, and Tala relaxed into her seat, her wolf quieting. Holy smokes. Apparently, Castor was a son of Zeus. If his glare was anything to go by, Kaios had also realized the implications. Zeus trumped most supernatural creatures out there, which made Castor, and, by association, Leia, off limits.
Cas picked up his knife and fork, cut a small piece from his own steak, which was still a lovely pink, and offered the morsel to Leia.
She shook her head at his antics but took the bite. “Delicious,” she murmured.
He leaned forward to kiss her lips. “Delicious is right.”
Marrok grinned. “Told ya,” he whispered for Tala’s ears only. To the group he said, “And I thought we were throwing off pheromones tonight. I think you two are giving us a run for our money.”
At the same time, he managed to twist his hand and pinch Tala’s inner thigh. She jumped, though only he would have noticed, and clamped her thighs even closer together.
A low chuckle reached her ears, and Tala clenched her teeth.
Marrok leaned in closer. “Play nice.”
CHAPTER 5
Tala narrowed her eyes. He wanted her to play nice? Surreptitiously, she reached under the table, laid her hand over his crotch and squeezed. “Is this what you mean?”
A strangled sound escaped him.
Shyla scooted her chair closer. “Whatever you two are doing to each other, either go finish it, or stop.” With a tip of her chin, she indicated several couples rushing from the room.
Oh, jeez, everyone in the room could feel that? Feel their rising desire?
Shyla must’ve caught the gist of Tala’s thoughts. “Yeah. I’m almost in pain sitting this close to you. In fact, I’m thinking I might go see if that tall drink of yummy over there wants to play.”
Tala released her grip on Marrok. While he moved his hand, he didn’t stop touching her, but at least the direct stimulation from seconds ago had quit.
Marrok glanced in the direction Shyla was looking. “You don’t want to mess with Rafe.”
Shyla pouted. “I’m not going to mess with him brother-dear, I’m going to play with him.”
“He doesn’t play nice.”
Tala held back a groan. Worst possible thing Marrok could’ve said to her bad-boy loving sister.
“Goody.” Shyla licked her lips suggestively.
Marrok tossed back his head and laughed. “You’ve been warned.”
Shyla stood, but instead of going over to Rafe, she glanced down at the two of them. “Time for your displays of power.”
One of the dumber, male macho, chest- thumping werewolf traditions in Tala’s opinion, but the display was expected. Werewolves, like wolves in the wild, were an alpha-based society where that position was earned, often with violence. A tradition at alpha mating ceremonies was for the alpha to put on a display of his skills. In this case, they both got to put on
a show. They pushed back from the table and moved to the center of the dance floor.
Shyla and Castor left to retrieve the weapons Tala and Marrok had chosen for their displays. They met at the center of the floor, both toting ornately decorated boxes. With a flourish they each opened theirs.
Tala stared. They’d both selected throwing knives. An unaccustomed giggle escaped her, earning a heated glance from Marrok. Now why had a small giggle turned the man on? Damn pheromones.
“Would you like to use my targets?” Marrok asked, as Castor and Rafe rolled in large round boards painted with bullseyes and positioned them around the room.
Tala hid a secret smirk. “Sure.” She doubted their displays would be all that similar, but his offer saved her the bother of finding targets.
He gestured to the floor with a gallant wave. “Ladies first.”
This time she shook her head. “I’d rather see what I’m up against, if you don’t mind.”
Marrok cocked his head, studying her expression, then winked. “Don’t show me up too much. I have my pride.”
She couldn’t decide if the sensation in the pit of her stomach was a tug of annoyance or admiration. How did he read her easily when no one else did?
Marrok shrugged out of his tux jacket and undid his bowtie, letting the ends dangle. With a flick, he also undid the top buttons of his shirt. She knew exactly what the shirt hid beneath—an image of hard ridges of muscles flashed through her mind, and her body, ever on edge, throbbed in response.
Marrok glanced over his shoulder and grinned at her as though he knew she was on fire. He couldn’t know for sure? Could he?
He gathered a handful of knives, holding them like a fan, then stood in the center of the dance floor, with the targets around him in a circle. Feet planted, he shot Tala another wink, and her heart rate picked up a notch. This playful side of him was sexy as all get out.
In rapid succession, so fast his hands were a blur, Marrok spun in a circle and hurled his knives. His technique was swift…and brutal. Each knife struck with a ringing thud and unerring accuracy and sank deep into the wood. Even her wolf perked at the display, lifting her head from her paws, ears twitching. Tala’s heat-o-meter amped up another ten degrees. Maybe displays of skill by an alpha weren’t bad after all.
