Chapter 2 #2
Scarlet blinked. Then blinked again before turning her head to look at Gabby. “Do you want to go with them?”
Her sister’s expression went from a mixture of wide-eyed fear and surprise to completely blank and devoid of emotion. She’d have to ask Gabby about that later. “They don’t want me, hon.”
“Whitney?”
That sister raised her brows. “Dude, I don’t even have a Mark.”
She stood there, stunned. Okay, her Mark was doing a happy little pulsy thing and the tingles were traveling on to her pleasurable pink bits, but… Her?
Scarlet turned her attention to Keller and Madden. “Me?”
Keller winked and Madden…smiled? Sort of a mix between a grimace and a smile.
A smilace? She saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the wariness and unwillingness to let her in.
In one sweeping glance, she caught it all.
This was the big, bad pack protector who probably didn’t let anyone in.
Keller would be the politician. Granted, the man could probably tear off a wolf’s head without hesitation, but Madden would be the one knocking heads around first and asking questions never.
At least Garron and Quentin were able to walk away.
“Yes, Miss Wickham, you.”
She looked to Madden for confirmation. His nod didn’t do anything for the butterflies in her stomach. “Um, okay. I don’t know how… Do I… Like, lean forward and you can sniff me or…”
Scarlet waved her hands, gesturing between them.
She so wasn’t knowledgeable about wolf-land specifics.
Sure, she’d absorbed the laws Gabby had spouted, but she hadn’t bothered with the rest. Hell, she didn’t even know who the Ruling Alphas were, hadn’t seen a picture or learned their names.
She just knew that they were their starting point in Operation: Help Whitney.
Once again, like when she was a child, she should have paid more attention.
“Why don’t we meet in the hotel’s restaurant for dinner? We can talk and…see how things go from there.” Keller’s words were soft and soothing while a sexual, predatory gleam lingered in Madden’s eyes. She imagined him unleashing his pent-up need. On her.
She shivered, a brush of arousal traveling down her spine. Okay. Yeah. Dinner. She licked her lips. “That sounds good. Seven?”
That’d give them enough time to develop a battle plan. The growing throb in her shoulder told her in more than words that these two were the ones for her. She’d be the balance between the seething strength of Madden and the hidden power of Keller.
And that didn’t scare her nearly as much as it should have. Like, at all.
Madden watched her walk away, watched the sisters Wickham push and nudge through the throng until they were hidden from sight.
His wolf was pissed.
His heart thundered, pounding against his chest like a thousand horses racing across the plains. He couldn’t draw air into his lungs, couldn’t breathe.
His beast clawed and scraped and scratched inside him, snarling because he and Keller had let Scarlet leave.
The woman awed him. Not only did her body call to him, her mind proved she’d be a good match for them. She hadn’t walked into the Gathering blind. No, their mate had come in armed, prepared to battle with the overbearing Alphas.
Madden never doubted they were arrogant. Alphas, as a rule, wanted things done now and their way. Period.
Their Scarlet would be a good supporter and adversary at the same time.
“She’s beautiful.” Keller’s voice was pitched low, but Madden had no trouble hearing his partner Alpha.
And he agreed. She had luscious curves in all of the right places, nothing like the trim unmarked female wolves who threw themselves at the Ruling Alpha pair.
Female wolves were great for a tumble, but their temperament didn’t provide proper balance, hence the magic that forced Alphas to find their mates amongst the human Marked.
And their Marked, with her round hips and lush breasts, was perfect.
Her long brown hair had seemed to gleam and glow in the ballroom, catching the light with her every shift. Her eyes… Her eyes were dark chocolate, the deep hue tempting him and luring him closer.
And, wolf or no, he was a chocolate lover at heart.
Keller’s elbow collided with his stomach, and Madden grunted. “What?”
“What do you think?”
He had only one thought, and he and his wolf were in complete agreement. “Mine.”
“Ours.”
The wolf growled but quickly recognized their partner’s claim.
The beast knew they couldn’t rule, couldn’t claim Scarlet, alone.
They needed Keller. Keller was as bloodthirsty as he was, but the other wolf managed to keep him out of trouble.
His presence prevented Madden from spiriting Scarlet away and locking her up somewhere safe.
He could protect her if she stayed inside.
In his room. He suddenly realized why princesses were locked in towers.
Madden nodded. “Ours.”
The low clearing of a throat forced him to turn his attention from the point where Scarlet disappeared, to the man beside them. “Alphas.”
The Captain of the Guard. That’s right, they’d booted the asshole duo of Quentin and Garron. He hated both men. Their dominance tended to lean a little closer to mean than he liked, but each Alpha pair was entitled to join the Gathering and to search for their mate among the attending Marked.
Marked. He’d found his, theirs.
“Captain.” Madden’s attention remained riveted on the guard.
“The Colson Alphas were secured transportation to their home and given an escort to the airport.” The guard glanced at his watch. “Their flight leaves in one hour, twenty-seven minutes.”
“Excellent.” Keller joined their conversation, turning away from a pair of Alphas who’d approached them.
Keller’s gaze fell to him, eyes dark, brows furrowed and lips pinched in a solid white line. Already his partner had to be feeling the effects of their mate’s absence.
Scarlet? Keller spoke with his partner Alpha telepathically, a benefit of being part of an Alpha pair.
Madden rolled his eyes. Like I’d ever forget about ensuring her safety.
“Captain, please locate the sisters Wickham. I want them to have round the clock protection. Pull in whomever you need, but I want a guard on their asses at all times. Like fucking glue.” The Captain raised a single brow but remained silent.
Madden refused to sate the guard’s curiosity.
The packs would learn about Scarlet soon enough. “That’s all I need.”
The wolf bowed and retreated, disappearing into the sea of men and women.
His inner-beast clawed at him, furious he’d let Scarlet’s protection fall to another.
A rough nudge had him turning his attention to Keller. “Chill. We’re having dinner with her tonight. Probably more. Then we can both watch over her.”
Madden knew he’d been at Keller’s side since they were young, but it still creeped him out when the man read his mind.
“I know.” Knowing didn’t keep the wolf calm. He practically vibrated with the need to hunt and protect her. She was so small and sweet and—
Keller snorted. “Small, maybe. I don’t think our mate exudes sweetness.”
Fucker had weaseled into his head again. Madden growled at the other wolf. The beast wouldn’t tolerate anyone, not even Keller, speaking badly about Scarlet. “She was protecting hers. She—”
“Alphas.”
He turned and snarled at the wolf who’d interrupted them, then drew the sound back. He was on edge, would be until Scarlet carried their bite and they both came deep within her body, one in her ass, the other in her pussy.
There was no reason to snap off Albert’s head. “Sorry.”
Keller strode past him, hand patting Madden’s chest. There wasn’t a sexual relationship between them, but time brought easy familiarity and comfort most human men shunned. “Don’t mind grumpy here. What do you need?”
Madden needed Scarlet, but it didn’t look like he’d get his way any time soon.
“The Marked have all checked in, though we still have a few Alpha pairs yet to arrive. I have confirmed they’ll be here by morning.”
“Thank you, Albert.” Keller gave the man a small nod and the wolf scampered away.
Keller, eyes dancing with mirth, turned to Madden. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“Shut it. You know you feel the same way; you’re simply nicer about it. You want to hunt her, too.” He narrowed his eyes. “Maybe we should have picked her guards ourselves. I’ll go find the Captain—”
His partner chuckled. “Come on, we still have a few duties to complete before we can meet our mate, and I’m sure the Captain has selected the very best to watch over the sisters Wickham.”
The wolf growled but felt the truth in Keller’s words.
He just didn’t like it.