Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
It was the dare in his eyes that made her elaborate. “I’m not good at relationships because I don’t know how to be an ‘us.’ I’m not touchy-feely, and I’m not the type to feed a male ego by lavishing it with affection.” Male shifters liked to feel needed, and Roni didn’t like to need anyone. “When a guy senses how dominant I am, his instinct is to try to control me in order to firmly establish that he’s ‘the boss.’ Let’s just hope my mate won’t do that.”
What Roni didn’t say was that she was probably too messed up to even sense her mate. Jaime had once said her mother had compared the mating bond to a frequency. If it were jammed by things such as doubts or fears, it couldn’t be picked up. Roni knew she was guarded, knew she found it extremely difficult to let people in. How could someone who struggled to allow new people into their life sense their mate?
“It stands to reason that your mate can accept you as you are,” Marcus assured her as he drove through the now open gates, nodding at Cam in greeting. “That he’ll want you any way he can have you.” Although that wasn’t always a good thing; his parents’ mating was proof of that. But he wasn’t interested in darkening the mood, so he flashed her another smile. “And that delectable ass of yours totally makes up for your flaws.”
She didn’t know whether to scowl or thank him for the compliment. She went with scowling, which only made him laugh again. She was sure she’d never met anyone who liked to laugh as much as Marcus did. Yet despite that playfulness, there was an intensity about him that even her extremely dominant brothers couldn’t match.
“My wolf wants to take a bite out of it. I can’t say I’m opposed to the idea.”
“I’m not your type,” she again insisted.
He didn’t deny it, since it would only insult her intelligence. “And yet, I want nothing more than to strip you naked and have my wicked way with you.” She said nothing. “You want me as much as I want you, Roni.” Pulling up inside the concealed parking area, he leaned toward her. Raw need pulsed between them, drawing him closer. “Admit it. I dare you.”
Roni was no coward. Had he been anyone else, she would have admitted the truth. But with Marcus, she couldn’t be sure that this wasn’t just harmless flirting. Uncomfortable with the way he was staring at her, she dropped her gaze . . . and it fell on his mouth. That sinful, erotic mouth that was most likely very talented.
When she didn’t answer, Marcus persisted. “Roni?”
“Sorry, I was just imagining putting a moth in your mouth. I saw it in a movie once.”
He had to smile. “I’ll let you live in denial a little longer,” he told her as they exited the car—though if her brother and Beta weren’t due to enter the lot any second, he might not have been so well behaved. “But we both know that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
She huffed as she followed him up the steps that were carved into the cliff face. “You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
Opening the door wide, he smiled at her. “You like that.”
He was right, she did.
CHAPTER FOUR
Once the entire hunting party was seated at the kitchen table, Rhett began to talk as he flicked through a pile of papers.
“Okay, the name of the jackal pack in question is Glacier, consisting of only ten jackals. The Alpha is Sergio Milano and, according to the proverbial paper trail, he’s thirty-five years old, lives above the successful Italian restaurant he owns—which is basically the only territory his pack has—and drives a silver Lexus. He’s also unmated, very powerful, and the most respected of the jackal shifters. Dig deeper, and you’ll find that he also enjoys smuggling weapons for humans in his free time.”
“Sounds delightful,” commented Taryn dryly, glancing at the photo of said Alpha that was being passed around. “Do you recognize him?” she asked Trey.
He studied it closely. “Never seen him before.” He was surprisingly composed, but Roni had to wonder if it was more of a case of “the calm before the storm.”
“Any indication that he’s into human trafficking?” asked Dante.
Rhett shook his head, which seemed to relax Taryn slightly.
Roni frowned as Marcus draped an arm over the back of her chair and loomed over her shoulder as she studied the photograph of Sergio. The close proximity had her senses going haywire, particularly as his mouth was near the sensitive spot behind her ear, and his hot breath was playing havoc with it.
“Well then, let’s go talk to Sergio.”
Marcus stiffened. His Alpha had sounded so cool and casual, but there was no way Marcus was buying that act. Trey had a notorious temper and his wolf tended to turn feral during battles. “We can’t go in there, all guns blazing.”