Chapter 2
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand, breathing hard from the sparring session.
Training had run long today, but it felt good to push my body after months of sitting in classrooms learning pack law and territorial negotiations.
Colorado had been educational, sure, and we did a lot of sparring there, too, but nothing beats the satisfaction of a good training session with my pack mates.
"Nice takedown on Peters," Scarlett Peterson said, appearing at my elbow with a bottle of water and a smile that promised more than hydration. "You've gotten stronger."
I accepted the water gratefully, letting my gaze linger on the she-wolf who'd been making her interest clear since I'd returned from Alpha training.
Scarlett was exactly what I'd expected to want in a partner.
Twenty-two, experienced, confident. Black hair that caught the evening light and blue eyes that held mine without flinching.
She knew how to handle herself in a fight and how to handle herself with an Alpha.
"Six months of training will do that," I said, unscrewing the cap. "Colorado Alphas don't mess around."
"I noticed." Her eyes traveled down my chest appreciatively, and I felt the familiar spark of male satisfaction. This was normal. This was what I was supposed to want. A woman who could match me, challenge me, and complement my strength with her own.
Not a thirteen-year-old girl who still slept with stuffed animals.
"Marshall!" Annalise's voice cut through my thoughts. I turned to see her hurrying across the training ground, a covered plate in her hands and concern written all over her face. "Luna Etta sent dinner. She was worried you'd miss it again."
The kid had grown in the two weeks since the claiming. Not physically, she was still small and delicate and far too young, but something in her eyes had changed. She looked at me now like I hung the moon and commanded the stars. It was flattering and uncomfortable in equal measure.
"Thanks," I said, taking the plate without really looking at her. "Tell Mom I'll eat later."
Annalise's face fell slightly, but she rallied quickly. "She made your favorite. Pot roast with those potatoes you like."
"I said later." The words came out sharper than I'd intended, and I saw her flinch.
Guilt twisted in my stomach, but Scarlett was watching, and the other wolves were starting to notice the interaction.
I couldn't look weak in front of them, couldn't let them think a child had any influence over me, even if she was my mate.
"Of course," Annalise said quietly. "Sorry to interrupt."
She turned to go, but Scarlett's voice stopped her. "Annalise, isn't it? Marshall's little mate?"
The possessive way Scarlett said "little" made my wolf Ranger growl softly in my mind, but I pushed the feeling down. Scarlett was just establishing pack dynamics. That was normal.
"Yes," Annalise said, lifting her chin with a pride that was almost painful to watch. "I'm his mate."
Scarlett's smile was sharp as a blade. "How sweet. And so young. You must be excited about starting Luna training."
"I am. Luna Etta is teaching me so much."
"I'm sure she is." Scarlett moved closer, and I caught the predatory gleam in her eyes. "Of course, Luna training is quite advanced. Requires a certain level of maturity and experience that comes with age."
The implication hung in the air like smoke. Annalise wasn't old enough, experienced enough, woman enough for the role she'd been thrust into. I should have said something, should have shut Scarlett down, but I wanted to see how she’d react.
"I'll learn," Annalise said simply. "I have time."
"Five years," Scarlett mused. "Such a long time to wait. Especially for a man with Marshall's... appetites."
This time, Ranger snarled audibly, and several wolves turned to look at us. I needed to end this conversation before it became pack gossip, but not because I was defending Annalise. Because I was maintaining control.
"That's enough," I said, my voice carrying just enough Alpha command to make both women step back. "Scarlett, walk with me. Annalise, go help Mom with whatever she needs."
Annalise's eyes searched my face for something I couldn't give her. Reassurance, maybe. But she was a smart kid. She nodded once and walked away without another word, her small shoulders held straight despite the dismissal.
"Alone at last," Scarlett purred, moving closer again. "I was hoping we could talk."
"About what?"
"About us." Her hand landed on my forearm, fingers tracing the muscle there. "You can't tell me you haven't thought about it. We're both adults, both available."
Available. The word rang strangely in my ears. Was I available? Technically, yes. The mating wouldn't be official until Annalise turned eighteen.
"Annalise is my mate," I said, but the words felt automatic, required rather than heartfelt. Ranger had feelings for Annalise, but even he was guarded given her young age. Those feelings would develop as Annalise got older, and we started to see her as the woman she was yet to become.
"In five years," Scarlett agreed. "But what about now? What about tonight?"
Her scent wrapped around me, familiar and enticing. She was right here, willing and eager, everything a red-blooded male should want. And what was the alternative? Five years of celibacy? Five years of waiting for a child to grow into a woman?
She is OURS, Ranger growled in my mind, the sound a low, possessive rumble. Our mate. The Moon Goddess chose her.
She's thirteen, I argued back, pushing the wolf’s instincts down. She's a child playing dress-up in Luna lessons.
She is still OURS, he repeated, his loyalty absolute. Protect her. Wait for her.
Waiting is for monks, not Alphas, I shot back, the frustration real and raw.
But Scarlett was kissing me now, her lips bold and demanding, and it was easier to lose myself in the immediate pleasure than think about distant obligations. When she pulled back, her smile was triumphant.
"Your place or mine?" she asked.
"Mine." The word was out before I could think about it.
Let the pack see that Marshall Kane wasn't waiting around for anyone.
Let them remember that I was a grown man with grown man needs.
Annalise would understand. I was an alpha male with alpha male needs.
I hadn't waited for my mate, so there was no need for me to stop sating my needs now just because I'd found my little mate. Mom would explain it to her if need be.
An hour later, I was questioning my decision. Scarlett lay beside me in my bed, tracing patterns on my chest with her fingernails, and all I could think about was the look on Annalise's face when Scarlett had called her "little."
"That was incredible," Scarlett murmured. "We should do this more often."
"Maybe," I said, but my mind was elsewhere. Had Annalise made it back to the house safely? Had she eaten dinner? Did she understand that this didn't change anything between us?
A soft knock on my door made both of us freeze.
"Marshall?" Annalise's voice was muffled through the wood. "I brought you some dessert. Luna Etta made apple pie."
Scarlett's grin was wicked. "Aren't you going to invite her in?"
"No," I said quickly. "Annalise, I'm busy. Leave it outside the door." I’m not sure what I was trying to achieve. All wolves had enhanced senses, so even without seeing her, Annalise knew Scarlett was in my room with me.
Silence. Then, quietly, "Okay. Good night, Marshall."
Her footsteps retreated down the hall, and I felt like the world's biggest bastard. But what was I supposed to do? Open the door and traumatize a thirteen-year-old? Explain why her mate was naked in bed with another woman?
"She'll learn," Scarlett said, settling back against my pillows like she owned them. "They always do."
I wasn't sure if she was talking about pack hierarchy or something darker, and I didn't ask.
The next morning, I found Jackson waiting for me in the kitchen, two cups of coffee steaming on the counter and a scowl on his face that could have curdled milk.
"We need to talk," my best friend and future Beta said without preamble.
"Good morning to you, too," I muttered, reaching for one of the cups. Jackson had been my future Beta since we were kids, the one person in the pack who could challenge me without consequences. Usually, I appreciated his honesty. Today I had a feeling I wasn't going to like what he had to say.
"What the hell are you doing, Marshall?"
"Drinking coffee. What does it look like?"
Jackson's dark eyes flashed with anger. "Don't play stupid with me. Half the pack saw you take Scarlett to your room last night. Your mate lives in this house, for Moon's sake."
"My mate is thirteen years old," I snapped, setting the cup down harder than necessary. "What exactly am I supposed to do with that?"
"Respect her. Protect her. Act like the Alpha you're supposed to become instead of a horny teenager who can't keep it in his pants."
The criticism hit like a physical blow, and Ranger stirred restlessly in my mind. "I am protecting her. I'm keeping my distance until she's old enough to understand what a mate bond really means. I'm handling my needs discreetly."
"Discreetly,” Jackson snorted. “By discreetly, you mean fucking other women under her nose? In your bed, where she can see, smell, and hear them? Your bed," he reiterated. “A bed you may well fuck her in, in future years, after countless other she-wolves.”
He had a point, but I wasn’t about to back down.
"By being realistic about the situation.
" I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bleeding into my voice.
"Look, I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to be mated to a child.
But the Moon Goddess chose what she chose, and I'm dealing with it the best way I know how. "
"The best way you know how is to humiliate her?"
"I'm not humiliating anyone. I'm living my life."
Jackson stared at me for a long moment, and I saw disappointment replace anger in his expression. Somehow, that was worse. Jackson was the one who was always supposed to have my back.
"Do you know what she asked me yesterday?" he said quietly.
I didn't want to know, but I could see he was going to tell me anyway.
"She asked if she was pretty enough to be your mate. If maybe she should start wearing makeup or doing something different with her hair." Jackson's voice was deadly calm. "A thirteen-year-old girl is wondering if she's not good enough for a man who's supposed to love her unconditionally."
The words hit like silver bullets, each one finding its mark with perfect precision.
I thought about Annalise's face when she'd brought me dinner, the way she'd looked at Scarlett with something that might have been longing.
The way she'd accepted Scarlett's subtle insults without defending herself.
"That's not..." I started, then stopped. Because it was exactly what was happening, wasn't it?
"She's not going anywhere, Marshall," Jackson continued. "She's your mate. That's not changing in five years or fifty years. But the way you treat her now is going to determine what kind of Luna she becomes and what kind of relationship you'll have."
"She's a child," I repeated, but the argument was losing strength.
"She's your mate. Your responsibility. Our pack’s future." Jackson finished his coffee and set the cup in the sink. "Figure out what that means to you before you destroy something precious."
He left me standing in the kitchen, staring into my coffee and feeling like I'd swallowed glass. Outside, I could hear Annalise laughing with someone, probably one of the pack kids. The sound was bright and innocent, and everything I was supposed to be protecting.
Instead, I was thinking about how long it would be before Scarlett was free tonight.
You are better than this, Ranger said quietly.
Am I?
You should be.
But wanting to be better and actually being better were two different things. And the pack expected their future Alpha to act like a man, not a monk waiting for a little girl to grow up.
I finished my coffee and went to find Scarlett. Jackson's words followed me like ghosts, but I pushed them down with everything else I didn't want to think about.
The kid would understand.