“Lovely. Are you moving in with us?” Lance asks, veering an unexpected turn in our conversation and catching me a little off guard.
“I don’t know—for a few hours at least.”
“For as long as you want,” Aaron calls out before I hear the click of his door closing. He leaves his room what feels like seconds later and comes over to give me a quick peck on the side of my head. “Don’t let him bully you,” he says into my hair before leaving out the front door.
Lance just sits there, looking at me for several extremely awkward seconds before asking, “If you’re not going to be here, where would you go? Your packhouse?”
“Not that this is any of your business, but I was thinking of asking Mack if he’d like to move in with me—after I manage to kick out Zane. Technically, Zane is squatting, as I’m the only one on the lease. So…maybe a hotel if things are too uncomfortable here. Aaron already moved me into his room, so I might stay here if I’m not unwelcome.”
“You’re moving into an apartment with Prince Macklin, as in just one?” he asks.
I eye him in confusion. “Yes. Just one. We’re roommates, or we were in New York.”
A muscle ticks in Lance’s jaw. He looks like he’s grinding his teeth together before he finally speaks. “What are your plans as to your relationship with Prince Macklin?”
“Um, let me see…” I tap my chin. “Yeah, that would be none of your fucking business.”
“Your friend, Prince Macklin, has done everything short of pissing on you to let every male within a hundred-foot radius know you’re his.”
“Well, that’s vulgar. Seriously, Mack and I have been friends for years. We’ve never been romantic. It’s never been like that.”
The moment I say it, reality smacks into me in the form of a flashback of what Mack and I were doing a few hours ago. But…I don’t know what that means, to be honest. Mack was very clear that it didn’t mean anything long-term. The last time we kissed, he’d backed off and never mentioned it again.
It’s more than possible I’m in for a repeat of that.
Whatever. As I said, no matter what Mack and I turn into, it’s not Lance Knight’s business.
A wave of exhaustion hits me. My eyelids shift shut involuntarily and are a bitch to reopen. I manage to tell Lance, “I’m not discussing my love life with you. What I would like to discuss is if anyone found anything at the shelter or on the dead werewolves to indicate who they are and what pack they’re affiliated with?”
“No ID or even pack tattoos on any of them. They were professionals.”
“That’s disturbing, but if they were bounty hunters, somebody hired them.”
How the hell do I go about tracking that information down when I can’t even keep my eyes open? Furthermore, all the men are dead, so I literally have no leads. I’m feeling a little defeated here, not to mention a bit like a sitting duck, waiting for others to investigate while I twiddle my thumbs in safety. And amidst all that is the crushing realization that my continued exhaustion is indicating I really need to get some prolonged sleep even though I would rather investigate the shit out of this scenario. I would rather be anywhere but here with the sexy-as-hell asshole, Lance Knight, sitting right next to me.
“Hey,” Lance says. He tilts my chin up to meet his gaze. “You okay?” He runs his thumb across my jawline in a way that makes my wolf wake up inside me. My toes threaten to curl, and I pull back from his touch.
I’m ready to tell him I’m heading to Aaron’s room to get my beauty sleep when something completely different shoots from my mouth. “Why did you almost shift at Dr. Reed’s? Why didn’t you hand me over to my father?”
He leans in and pins me with his umber gaze. “Why do you think?”
Shit.
I’m feeling decidedly uneasy about this. “Okay. You think we’re true mates, and maybe we are. But I want to be really clear on something—just because we might be true mates, doesn’t mean you have any rights over me. I don’t answer to you. I don’t need to tell you if Mack and I are romantic. You and I…” I point between us, “have absolutely no inherent commitments I didn’t agree to, okay?”
Lance chuckles. “Scarlet Riley, I do have other concerns – more pressing concerns than our possible mate bond.”
“Oh yeah, of course,” I say even though I’m a little taken aback. “So why are you asking so many questions about my love life if it’s not about our possible mate bond?” Even though I really don’t intend to, I sound a little defensive.
Little wrinkle lines form around Lance’s eyes as his amused expression only intensifies. “If we’re going to withdraw our challenges and let you take over as Alpha, I need to know you’re not going to have too close an association with Queen Titania.”
“Queen of Spring? Are you kidding me? I don’t even know her—I’m pretty sure Mack barely even knows her. He’s one of her, like, fifty kids.”
The amusement drops from Lance’s face, and he’s all business when he asks, “Are you pretty sure or positive Macklin isn’t close to her?”
“We don’t talk about that type of stuff. And where do you get that I would take over for my father anyway?” I demand.
“When I asked him if he would step down for you as alpha, he said unequivocally yes. And as far as my research shows, pack bonds can be bequeathed to a daughter as easily as they can to a son.” Lance sets his elbows on his knees and glares at me. “I’m trying to reformulate a plan that doesn’t include challenging and killing my true mate’s alpha—”
“That’s a theory, emphasis on theory,” I interrupt, but he completely ignores me.
“But I can’t let my own personal conflicts come in the way of thwarting Queen Titania from taking Heartland.”
“Lance—if you still intend to challenge my father, I'll fight you the day before.”
He only smirks.
Asshole.
“After what you saw last night, I’m really questioning your intelligence right now.”
“Scarlet, your wolf isn’t going to fight mine.” He chuckles as his dark eyes spark with humor. “If we change together in front of the pack, we’re just going to have our first fuck with an audience—including your family, which could be a little awkward around the dinner table.”
Heat surges into my cheeks, and I know my face probably looks like a tomato.
Damn it.
He’s right.
Well, there went that threat in my arsenal.
“If we’re going to allow you to rule, there would have to be terms—assurances made and contracts signed. All three of our packs would need territory and patrol rights throughout Heartland. It would be a conglomeration,” he says, a hint of steel in his tone.
“You mean you’d control the area and let me sit as some sort of figurehead.” Shaking my head, I push off the cushy, way too comfortable couch and manage to get to my feet. “And you’d expect me to do what exactly? Sever ties with Mack? I don’t think so.”
Just then, the loud crash of shattering glass sends my heart rate into hyperdrive.
“Shit,” Lance says. “Stay here.”
And then he’s off, dealing with whoever was stupid enough to break into the Knight brothers’ apartment.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Scarlet
I don’t stay there of course. I’m right behind Lance as he runs into the kitchen.
Unfortunately, this idiot didn’t come alone. Three giant, military-looking werewolves hop in from the fire escape. That odd vanilla scent wafts through the air from them. The living room window behind me explodes inward, and a large male body goes sailing through the room. A clawed hand just barely misses me as I dive to the floor. I land wrong, sending blinding pain up my side and bile up my throat. My adrenaline kicks in, though, and I’m already moving. I quickly get to my feet, ignoring the pain to face my new attacker.
And he’s just as huge as the last three were. He wears his blond hair short, cropped around boxy facial features. His
lip splits to one side, as if it healed offset. There’s a feverish gleam in his eyes, which screams of drug intoxication, but otherwise, he shows no sign of inebriation.
“What the hell do you want?” I yell, eyeing him from his crouched position on the floor. “If you think kidnapping me is going to make it easier for your boss to challenge my father, you’re dead wrong.”
The guy chuckles and stands to his full, daunting height while the sounds of an immense struggle make their way from the kitchen. I’m not worried about Lance. I seriously doubt any one of these assholes could ever take him on and survive it.
“My alpha isn’t interested in your father. He knows who the true alpha is.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I grit out as panic surges through my chest.
The military looking werewolf fixes me with a chilling smile. There’s a gleam in his gaze, something disturbing and off.
“My alpha has a gift for you. Come with me and find out.”
“Pass. But I have a present for you, if you come a little closer.” I lift my hand as claws extend from my fingers.
His grin widens further. “You broke your word to him, and now you will submit to his demands, body, heart, and soul.”
“What did you just say?” My breaths come fast as terror clouds my vision. I stumble into the wall and almost fall over.
No.
He’s dead.
I tore out his throat, and the pack bonds transferred to me.
“You don’t really have a choice but to submit, do you? He’s allowed your family to live in peace and released his wives from their vows, meaning he simply needs to say the words to you, and you’ll crawl to him. We’ll never stop coming until you give our alpha what you stole from him. Your boyfriend is already paying the price for your betrayal.”
The werewolf dives for me, and though I see it coming, my reaction time is achingly slow as I leap to the right. A searing pain slices through my recently healed side.
Blood drips down my shirt in tiny rivulets, and I knock into the wall and crumple to the floor.
I know I need to stand. I will myself to stand, but my legs just won’t cooperate. A blur from the doorway shoots past my vision, and the sound of bones crunching and tissue ripping echoes in my ears.
Lance is suddenly by my side, cupping my face in his bloody hands and staring at me with wide-eyed concern.
“Scarlet, how badly are you hurt? Did he have time to injure you?” Lance looks at my abdomen and totally loses his shit, scooping me up and racing down the hall.
“Lance, stop,” I say as we round the corner into the living room. “Just set me down on the floor or something.”
“You don’t heal—I’m calling your father to get Dr. Reed,” he says, sitting me down on the couch and lifting the hem of my shirt. I don’t even bother protesting this time around. I’m kind of distracted by the dead dude in the corner, his lifeless eyes staring at me, his neck sitting at a weird angle.
The corpses are piling up around the Knight brothers and me. I’m torn between not caring and freaking the hell out. Shock is setting in. Lance busily sends off messages on his phone while grabbing a few hand towels from my kitchen. He binds my side, creating a comfortable pressure so the bleeding will stop. Kneeling before me, he focuses solely on tending to my wounds, and I’m just not sure what to make of him.
“Thank you for helping me. I don’t need you to help me, but I appreciate it.”
He lets out an exasperated sigh and mumbles gibberish under his breath.
Then he rises to his knees and stares down at me with glowing yellow eyes, his hot look burning my soul with its intensity. His voice is a low growl when he asks, “Does Dr. Reed make house calls?”
“I don’t need her.” I choke out a laugh, then wince from the pain. “All these years hiding—and he was still alive. There’s no point, no point to any of this.”
Lance grabs my shoulders. “You’re going into shock—maybe we should call an ambulance.”
“Absolutely no point. Here—might as well just show you...”
My wolf comes readily when I call her, surging to the surface as if she was lying in wait for my defenses to go down. She fills me completely, and my eyelids shutter at the tingling feeling that goes through me as I let her take control. My shredded side burns with a new sensation, that of her knitting my muscles back together.
Lance shakes me by the shoulders. “Don’t pass out—I’ll get you to a human hospital.”
“No. I’m healed,” I whisper, my voice roughened with wolf energy.
My wolf wants to take the lead, and I find I don’t give a shit right now. After fighting for so many years to hide absolutely nothing, I can’t care about anything right now. She leaves the control just within my grasp, something I can feel her not wanting to do. She doesn’t trust me. The thought hits me with a deep sadness. I’ve unnecessarily torn an integral part of me. It’s something I hope we can build again between us.
And of course, the first thing my wolf has us do, the moment we’re healed, is strip off my shirt. As I didn’t put on a bra after my shower, my breasts are on full display, and my wolf loves it. Slowly, we run our fingers over our side.
“See.”
Lance’s molten gold eyes look up into mine. What feels like a jolt of electricity hits my chest as our wolves connect.
“Alpha,” he growls in a low rumble that seems to come from deep in his throat.
I reach a hand to cup his cheek, and before I can make sense of what’s about to go down, I’m crushing my mouth to his. He inhales sharply, and I take full advantage, plunging my tongue into his delicious mouth and stroking it against his. Instinctively, I go to take control back from my wolf, when I stop.
Fuck it.
With the mood I’m in right now, I might as well just enjoy the moment. Any damage my kissing Lance does to my hard ass reputation is already done. Instead, I hold on for dear life as Lance returns with hard, toe-curling kisses with the precision only a perfectionist can deliver. His hands grab my hips, and he yanks me onto his lap and the hard bulge growing in his jeans. Lance caresses my lips with his, tasting, nibbling, licking, and sucking until I’m ready to throw caution and my panties to the wind just to have this man’s amazing mouth travel lower—all the way lower.
Suddenly, my attacker’s last words scream through my mind, “Your boyfriend is already paying the price for your betrayal.”
The memory brings me a gnarly dose of reality, and I break off the kiss with a violent motion. The reality of what just happened slakes my cloud of lust just as effectively as a cold shower. My apprehensive stare is in direct contrast to Lance’s fierce and possessive expression that’s filled with an ownership I’m not even remotely comfortable with.
No way in hell am I going to be maneuvered into another relationship by an overbearing Knight alpha—even if I was the one who just jumped on his lap and started dry-humping him.
His intent stare settles into one of concern. “Scarlet? What’s wrong?”
“We can never do that again. That can never happen again,” I whisper, my breath hitching. I’m nearly shaking from the day’s events and my own torn emotions concerning Lance, Aaron, and Mack…Darrel too, if I’m being honest. A memory flashes through my mind of me, lying under Jacob Knight’s massive body as my blood spread over his Persian rug.
He’s alive.
Alive.
“What?” Lance's nostrils flare, and his eyes widen. He’s scenting me. “You’re afraid? Afraid of me?” He shakes his head like he can’t even fathom the notion as his grip on my hips loosens. “You have no reason to be afraid of me, Scarlet. I will never hurt you. I will always protect you.”
I frantically shake my head. “No, not you. I made a promise—a stupid promise—that I never expected I’d have to keep. I thought I was going to die, so I did what I had to protect my family.”
“Scarlet...” Lance cups my face and lifts it to look up into his. “Tell me what’
s going on here, and I will handle it.”
I can’t help a small laugh at that; even when Lance is being incredibly sweet, he’s an egomaniac. My mirth fades almost instantly, though. “The story is very long and complicated. But what’s important is that your brother is back—Jacob is the one sending these bounty hunters. Except, I don’t think they’re bounty hunters. I think they’re his pack and very loyal. If he asks me to submit my alphahood of the Six Rivers Pack to him—I will be forced to give it back to him. HE can just take it from me, and I can’t do anything about it.”
“Slow down here for a second.” Lance’s warm hands wrap around my bare waist as his golden eyes glow. “You’re saying Jacob Knight is alive?” He shakes his head. “Your father failed to kill him.”
“Failed to kill him,” I mumble the words as the way he said them was so unexpected. “Yes, Jacob is alive. That man you just killed…” I trail off as I look over to the corpse, realizing we were making out fifteen feet away from a dead body, and there are more corpses in the kitchen. Crawling off Lance’s lap, I dive for my shirt and pull it on. “There is something seriously wrong with me. And now I need to find some way to warn that asshole Zane, again.”
“Scarlet. Zane is fine—your father has that bitch locked in a safehouse with seven dominants. He told me that in our earlier conversation. Do me a favor and please sit down and tell me everything you know about the challenge between your father and Jacob. Then, tell me exactly what the bounty hunter said to you. Anything could be important to figuring out what we should do.”
“Lance…” I grip onto the backboard of the couch to steady myself. “My dad never challenged Jacob. He didn’t kill him. I did. I mean, I thought I did up until twenty minutes ago.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Scarlet
All warmth drops from Lance’s bold features, leaving a deadly, cold mask. His eyes glow all the more with his wolf, and suddenly I’m wondering if I should be this close to him.
My best bet in a fight against someone like Lance would be to have room to dodge his swipes. I’m an endurance fighter and dirty fighter, but neither of those would do any good if Lance pinned me with his strength.
Dirty Alphas Page 21
