CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Five days later, after unpacking the rest of his things in what was now his and Ally’s lodge, Derren followed the smell of coffee downstairs and into the kitchen . . . just in time to watch his mate do a very feline stretch that made him want to slam her against the wall and thrust deep inside her.

His mate.

The shock of finding her still hadn’t left him. He hadn’t had many good things in his life, and he hadn’t expected that to change. And he definitely hadn’t expected the gift of finding his mate, particularly since he could be a broody, aggressive son of a bitch. He couldn’t be prouder or more satisfied to discover that his mate was Ally—the female who’d showed him how to live when he’d forgotten what that was like. She made him play with her, swim with her, chase her, argue with her. It all invigorated him.

She accepted the dark places inside him, accepted his scars and his past. Moreover, she forced him to accept it all too. She had faith in him, saw a goodness in him that he wasn’t sure was truly there. Despite the dark stories he’d told her about juvie, about the things he’d done to survive that place, she’d never once pulled away from him. Hadn’t condemned him for going after Neil, for killing him, or for the fact that he’d never regret it.

There was never any judgment or horror with Ally. Never anything except total acceptance—so much so that she’d not only accepted him as he was but the position of Beta female as well. She’d fully embraced it, happily took on the responsibilities, and even trained with him, Eli, and the other enforcers every day to keep fit and sharp.

He wasn’t sure he deserved the acceptance she offered, but he selfishly wanted it anyway.

The truth was that, even if she had tried to pull away from him, Derren wouldn’t have let it happen. Even though he’d have understood it, he wouldn’t have let her go. He couldn’t—not now, not ever.She was too much a part of him, too vital to him; an anchor he hadn’tknown he needed but now knew that he couldn’t exist without.

His wolf too was a total goner—he adored Ally. She was theirs, and God help anyone who ever attempted to cause her harm. Derren would slaughter them without blinking, and he wouldn’t miss a second of sleep over it.

He understood now what his Alpha had meant when he once said that every emotion was magnified when it came to mates. Adoration, protectiveness, respect, tenderness, hunger, jealousy, possessiveness—they were all tied up in what he felt for Ally and were so unbelievably intense, because the mating bond amplified everything. And Derren knew there wasn’t a damn thing he wouldn’t do to protect that bond, to keep this person who was and always would be more important to him than anything else.

Spotting him, she gave him a smile that never failed to make his cock begin to stand to attention. “Coffee?”

“Do you really need to ask?” Pulling her close, Derren gently mashed his lips with hers. He thrust his tongue inside, tasting and teasing. Wanting that unique scent that was all Ally settled in his system, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. “You smell too good. Exotic and tasty and mine.” Her blush made him smile. She could take an insult with a bored snort, could take a hit without a flinch, but a compliment? Too much for his little Seer to process.

“You smell better. Like oak bark, Brazilian coffee beans, and seriously hot sex.”

Chuckling, he slid his hands down to cup that ass he loved. “Perfect.” She winced slightly. “A little sore?” When he’d bent her over the sofa the night before, he’d spanked her a couple of times. Of course, his little Seer hadn’t been too pleased about that—she’d cursed and clawed him. So he’d spanked her again.

She narrowed eyes that were glinting with amusement. “No need to look smug. And get your hands off my ass.”

“How many times have I gotta tell you, baby? It’s my ass.” He let one finger slip gently between her ass cheeks, hating that her jeans acted as a barrier. “Has anyone had you here, baby?”

The question had a whisper of menace in it, and Ally knew it would have pissed him off big-time if she hadn’t saved that for her mate like most shifters did. As it was, she had saved it for him. “No, they haven’t.”

Gratified, Derren swiped his tongue over her bottom lip. “Good girl. One day, I’m going to take this ass.” He was rock hard just imagining it.

Ally wasn’t afraid to admit to herself that she wanted him to do it. She was curious, and, like her wolf, she wanted him to claim her every way a shifter could. But Ally would still make him work for it. She sniffed. “Maybe.”

Hearing the challenge in that one word, Derren smiled, rubbing his nose against hers. “You are the most—” Cutting himself off when he heard his cell chiming, he gave her ass a gentle pat before going to retrieve the phone from the coffee table in the den. Seeing that it was Marcus, he answered, “Yeah?”

“We have ourselves some visitors,” drawled Marcus.

Derren stiffened. “Who?” If it was any of the Collingwood wolves, he was going to—

“Miranda and two of her enforcers.” There was a wealth of agitation in Marcus’s voice. “They’ve all been checked for weapons and bombs, although she didn’t like it much. They’re all clear.”

“Okay, well, call me when she’s gone. I have no desire whatsoever to be in her company.” Derren’s comment made Ally shoot him a quizzical look from the kitchen. He held up one finger.

“She wants you to come. According to her, you’re going to want to hear this.” The line went dead.

Growling low in his throat, Derren looked at his mate, who, mug in hand, was crossing the room. “I have to go to the main lodge. I won’t be long.”

“Who’s here?”

“Miranda and two of her enforcers.”

“Huh.” Ally placed the mug on the table. “Let’s go then.”

Not liking that idea at all, Derren scowled as his hand involuntarily tightened around the phone. For as long as the mating bond was incomplete, he would find it difficult to have others around Ally—particularly outsiders—as it created a lingering insecurity, making him more possessive and protective than ever. He wouldn’t, couldn’t, take any chances with her safety.

In honesty, he didn’t believe Miranda was actually a real physical threat to Ally. After all, to attack Ally here would be the height of stupidity. Miranda was many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them. Still, Derren didn’t want outsiders around his mate right now. If that meant he was being irrational and paranoid due to their mating bond not being fully developed, fine. “Baby, you don’t need to come.”

“Probably not. But I am.”

“Ally.”

“Derren.”

“I want you to stay here.”

That Beta tone made Ally bristle, as usual. “And I want Rachelle to die a slow, horrible, excruciating death—preferably soon and in full view of me. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always give us what we want.” She almost smiled at Derren’s exasperated growl.

“Miranda’s a sly, cunning bitch, Ally.”

“Of course she is. But she won’t hurt me, and you know that, so stop being so dramatic.” She cocked her head, her smile one of pity. “You know, you’d be a lot less stressed if you just accepted that I don’tneed you to protect me, since I’m no damsel in distress and all.”

Derren cupped her jaw, his eyes flashing wolf as the animal wanted to make his simmering anger clear. “I know it pisses you off that I’m trying to protect you. I get it. You can protect yourself. I know that too. But, baby, there’s been a lot of danger around our pack recently, and our mating bond is only partially developed. Give me a little room to be paranoid here.”

Feeling her irritation slip away at his anxiety, Ally pressed a kiss to his chin, wanting to soothe both Derren and his wolf. “I’m glad you care so much, and I understand why you’re worried. But don’t you think I’m worried too? I know exactly how sneaky that bitch is, I know how much she wants you, and I know she thinks she’s therefore entitled to have you. But both me and my wolf need her to understand that it isn’t gonna happen.” The bitch needed to see he was mated and off-limits. “You’d do the same thing in my position.”

Unable to deny that, he ground his teeth. “I just want you safe.”

“So do I, so I’m hardly going to put myself in danger, am I?”

Derren sighed, still opposed to the idea of her accompanying him but knowing she wasn’t going to back down from this. Backing down was one thing Ally never did. That strength of will he admired and adored could also be a pain in his ass at times. “Fine. Let’s go.” His wolf raked his claws at Derren, unhappy with his capitulation even as the animal understood it.

Entering the living area of the main lodge a few minutes later, they found the Alpha pair and Eli, Roni, Marcus, and Zander scattered around the room. Miranda was lounging in an armchair, her two enforcers standing behind her. She smiled at Derren. “Glad you could join us, Derren.”

She didn’t acknowledge Ally, effectively dismissing her as unimportant—which wasn’t at all surprising. Her jealousy and contempt scalded Ally’s skin, almost causing a hiss of pain to slip through her gritted teeth. Seemingly just the mere fact that Ally breathed was enough to piss off Miranda. It was rather satisfying.

Derren led Ally to the spare spot at the end of a sofa and then stood alert beside her, his stance protective—a stance Miranda didn’t appear to like. “What’s this about?”

Nick replied, “Our neighbor says she has some info we should hear.”

Derren arched a brow. “Really?” He wouldn’t have expected Miranda, of all people, to have sought out information about Kerrie on their behalf. She wasn’t the type to give a shit about other people’s problems. Of course, it was highly likely that she wanted something in return.

“She believes you should be present for this, Derren,” added Shaya, her suspicious gaze locked on the other Alpha female. He could understand Shaya’s apprehension. There was just something not quite right here. His wolf was similarly uneasy, wanting this female away from his mate, despite his confidence that Ally could take her in a fight.

“Would you not prefer outsiders to be excluded from the conversation?” Miranda asked Shaya, shooting a meaningful—and disdainful—glance at Ally.

“Miranda, get on with it,” urged Nick, waving his hand impatiently.

Bristling, she objected, “But it’s your pack’s business and—”

“You’re trying my patience in a big way,” Nick growled. “You asked for permission to cross the border, I granted it. You asked me to summon Derren, and I have. He’s here. Now talk.”

Miranda straightened, her flawless face hardening. “As you wish. I appreciate that what happens within your pack and on your territory is of no one’s concern but your own. However, I discovered a shocking fact and felt it was something you should know. Especially since there were attacks on your pack not so long ago. As neighbors, we should always look out for each other.”

Nick narrowed his eyes. “And what is this discovery of yours?”

“You have no idea who you have in your midst. But I do.” Again Miranda fleetingly glanced at Ally. “If you knew who she was, you wouldn’t have her on your territory.”

Wait, what? That was pretty much the last thing Derren had expected her to say. No, it was something that Derren hadn’t at all expected her to say. His pacing wolf halted, peeling back his upper lip to expose his teeth and gums. Miranda was a hot button to the animal’s vicious temper.

Miranda looked at Derren, eyes diamond hard. “And you certainly wouldn’t have her in your bed if you knew the truth.”

Derren couldn’t help but growl at the insult, which made Miranda flinch in surprise. Through his mating link with Ally, he could sense that she was just as taken aback by Miranda’s words, but her expression gave nothing away.

Miranda spoke to Ally then. “When we met here, I knew I’d seen you somewhere before, but I couldn’t place you. It was only later that I remembered. You’re the Holts’ foster pup, aren’t you?” Miranda nodded a few times, an ugly smile growing with each nod. “That’s right, I know who you are.”

The scorn coating every word pissed off Ally’s wolf, who unsheathed her claws and took a swipe at Miranda. She wanted at the bitch who not only offended her but coveted her mate. Even though Ally didn’t think it was a bad idea at all, she didn’t give in to the urge to lunge at her. No, Ally wanted to see where the Alpha female was going with this.

When Ally gave her no reaction, Miranda turned back to Nick. “She may go by a different name, but she is—for all intents and purposes—a Holt, a Brookwell wolf. And we all know what that means. So, out of concern for your pack, I did some digging. Since becoming an adult, she’s gone from pack to pack. Most likely acting as a spy, getting inside information to pass on to her criminal family. And now she has inside information about your pack. I’m sorry to say it, to be the one to tell you, but it’s true. She’s been fooling you all.”

Miranda shot Derren a particularly sympathetic smile, though there was an element of smugness to it. And going by the expression on her face, she expected eternal gratitude from the Mercury wolves for her big reveal. Clearly she was under the impression that they now wouldn’t want Ally here.

For a moment, there was complete silence. Derren broke it, his voice dry and cold. “Are you done?”

Miranda’s face went slack. “You don’t believe me? Or perhaps you haven’t heard of the Holts, is that it?”

Shaya sighed, flicking her hand in a very regal movement. “You can go now, Miranda.”

The other Alpha female shook her head. “You don’t understand—”

“You’re right, I don’t understand,” said Shaya. “I don’t understand why you’re trying to make trouble.”

“Make trouble? That is the last thing I want. We’re neighbors, not enemies. I have no wish to change that.”

“Then why come here today?” demanded Nick, having gone from bored to angry. The male would take offense to anyone, even a close neighbor, insulting one of his wolves.

“Because the Holts cannot be trusted. Add in that she’s a Seer, and, well, this female is naturally untrustworthy.” Miranda’s distaste clawed its way down Ally’s arms. “I’m simply concerned about what this means for your pack.”

“Well, your concerns have all been noted. And dismissed.” Shaya turned to Roni, Marcus, and Zander. “Please escort our visitors to the border.”

The three Mercury enforcers rose, but Miranda didn’t move. “She could be a plant, learning your weaknesses!” Realization suddenly dawned on her. “You already knew who she was, didn’t you? Does she have you fooled into believing she’s not like the Holts?” Miranda looked to Derren. “You cannot possibly wish to have one of them in your bed!”

Before Ally could jump to her defense, Derren was talking—well, growling—with his eyes flashing wolf.

“Watch how you speak of my mate.” His sentence ended with a snap of his teeth. His wolf backed him up with a lengthy growl.

Miranda gaped. “Your mate?”

“My mate,” he confirmed proudly, possessively playing with Ally’s hair.

“You know, Miranda,” began Ally, “I don’t think you’re really in a position to judge Derren, considering you once did all you could to get into my uncle’s bed.”

A smile curved Shaya’s mouth. “Really?”

Ally nodded. “Dan told me.” Dan was the playboy of the family, and a guy known for having no standards whatsoever when it came to women. But he turned Miranda down, recognizing her for the twisted puppeteer of males that she was. The female retaliated by spreading false, insulting rumors about him.

“You think I wanted Dan?” Miranda scoffed. “It was the other way around. I have more pride than to jump into the bed of a Holt.”

“Insulting my family really isn’t wise. Unless, of course, you’re trying to goad me into challenging you. I guess dueling with you could be fun.” Ally’s wolf seriously loved that idea.

Miranda laughed. “I’m an Alpha. You’re a Beta.”

“Do you have a point?”

“I can easily take you,” sneered Miranda.

“You could if you were a born alpha. But you’re not. I’d wipe the floor with you, and we both know it.”

Miranda’s eyes narrowed. “Are you threatening me?”

“I don’t make threats. They’re boring. I’m stating a fact. If you wish to challenge my belief, feel free to do so.” Ally felt Derren tense beside her, and she understood that he wouldn’t want her fighting with anyone whether he believed she could take them or not. Even though his unnecessary protectiveness annoyed her, it was nice to have someone who cared so much.

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you? You’d love it if I challenged you here and now. Because then I’d have made an enemy of my closest neighbor.” She shook her finger. “I’m not falling for that.”

“Nice way to save face.”

Roni nodded at Ally. “It is, isn’t it?”

Casting a withering glance at Ally, Miranda turned her attention to Derren. “You have no idea what you’ve done, do you? You’ve sentenced your entire pack to death. Once the Holts’ enemies realize their foster pup is here, they’ll come for her. They’ll use her against them—and if that means fighting their way through all of you to reach her, that’s exactly what they’ll do.”

And Ally would bet that Miranda would take delight in ensuring those enemies became aware of her whereabouts. But there was something Miranda hadn’t considered. Ally smiled at her. “You won’t tell.”

One overplucked brow slid up. “I won’t? And why is that?”

Ally shrugged as she said simply, “Because you’ll die if you do. I have a mate and a pack that will avenge anything done to me. Of course . . . that’s assuming my family doesn’t beat them to it.”

Eyes flaring, Miranda made a derisive sound. “You think I’m scared of the Holts?”

“Yes, I do. And you should be. Because Cain would do everything he could to get to you first.” That comment put a tint of fear in Miranda’s eyes, just as Ally had expected. “If you think your pack could protect you from him, you’re wrong. He wouldn’t attack your wolves, because it would be you he wanted. You wouldn’t even know he was there until his hand wrapped around your throat and snapped your neck.”

Face flushed with rage, Miranda shot to her feet and glanced at her enforcers over her shoulder. “I think it’s time we left.”

“I think it’s long past the time you should have left,” said Roni, earning her a smile from her mate.

Spine straight, Miranda spoke to Nick and Shaya. “If you wish to have her as part of your pack, that’s your business and I shall respect it. But I still believe you’re making a grave mistake.” Then she and her enforcers marched out while Zander, Roni, and Marcus acted as escorts.

Eli scratched the back of his head. “Well . . . I didn’t see that coming.”

“Do you truly think she won’t tell anyone where you are?” Shaya asked Ally.

“I think Miranda loves her throne, and she won’t do anything to risk losing it,” replied Ally.

“That’s a good point,” conceded Eli.

Standing, Ally turned to Derren. “Come on, we’ve got Beta stuff to do.”

“Actually,” began Nick, “we were all thinking of going on a pack run. You game?”

Derren nodded, rolling his shoulders back to shake away his tension. “My wolf could do with a run.”

“My dad will stay here and keep a look out for intruders,” said Shaya. Stone was refusing to leave until all the danger to the pack was over. “If he sees anyone, he’ll shoot once to signal.”

As a thought occurred to her, Ally told Derren, “I doubt it’s a good idea if I shift.”

“Why?” he asked as he curled his arms loosely around her.

“Your wolf’s even more possessive than you. I’m not sure he’d be rational seeing my wolf around the other males of the pack.”

Derren sighed as he realized she could have a point. Rubbing his nose against hers, he coaxed, “At least come with us.” If she stayed behind, he’d remain with her.

She thought about it for a moment. “All right. I’ll carry Willow around so she can come along too.”

After walking deep into their territory, the pack—with the exception of Ally and Willow, who wouldn’t be able to shift until puberty—shifted into their wolf forms. Holding Willow in her arms, Ally kept pace with the wolves as they loped around, both playful and watchful. Her mate stayed close to her, repeatedly rubbing against her or licking her hand. His power, strength, and level of dominance were evident in his stature and the vibes he exuded.

Finally, the wolves all settled in a clearing. Some lay sprawled on the ground while others played and tussled. Ally sat with Willow between her legs, but the infant apparently had no intention of staying in place. She crawled away and was quickly circled by a red she-wolf and a large gray wolf—Shaya and Nick. She giggled each time the wolves gently nuzzled her.

A black wolf—Derren—alternated between wrestling with the enforcers and lying at Ally’s side while she sank her fingers into his thick fur. The animal released a feral growl if any of the males, even his Alpha, got too close to Ally.

“I was right to stay in my human form then, huh,” Ally said to the black wolf, knowing Derren would understand the words. “Next time, I’m shifting.” Although going along on the run was satisfying for her and her wolf, it didn’t soothe them the way it would if she were in her wolf form. The black wolf trotted behind her, disappearing from view . . . and then suddenly a naked male was wrapped around her, his front to her back. Well, now.

“Yes, you were right,” Derren admitted, lapping at her claiming mark. “My wolf sees each of the males here as threats to our bond—even the mated ones.” His wolf’s jealousy was now worse than ever, which meant his mood was more temperamental than usual. Barely resisting the urge to clutch the breasts that were crushed beneath his arms, Derren told her, “He even gets jealous of the attention you pay to Bruce.”

Ally chuckled, tilting her head to give him better access. He nuzzled her and inhaled deeply. “My wolf can get just as jealous.”

“But at least she’s rational.”

“Well, there is that.” She hooked one arm over his nape to thread her fingers through his hair. Ally relaxed into him as he practically enfolded his body around hers, touching and kissing her both soothingly and reverently. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations: A kiss to her jaw. Fingers playing along her collarbone. A kiss to her neck. A stroke of his hand down her arm. A nip to her earlobe. A lick to her claiming mark. A kiss to the hollow beneath her ear.

As he brushed aside her hair to nip and lick her nape, she said, “I don’t think you’re in a position to judge your wolf.”

“What do you mean?”

She snorted at the innocence in his tone. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

“What?”

“You’re making sure I’m wearing your scent.”

Smiling against her nape, he admitted with no repentance whatsoever, “Fine, so I want you to smell of me.” Just the same, he wanted his skin to smell of her. He brushed his cheek against hers. “Although I love your scent exactly how it is, there’s one thing that would make it better: if it was mixed with mine.” When the mating bond progressed a step, it would happen; their scents would twine and form a unique scent that would declare they were mated.

He wanted that, but he wasn’t sure how to make it happen. The bond wouldn’t fully snap into place until he and Ally were completely naked to each other—it was a form of surrender on both parts. For most couples, that often meant overcoming fears, accepting hard or painful truths, and exposing and moving past their personal scars.

Although he and Ally were working toward it, the progression of the bond wasn’t something that could be forced or hurried. That pissed him off, because Derren wasn’t a patient guy when it came to Ally—he wanted everything, and he wanted it now.

“Maybe your wolf will settle a little when he knows a single sniff will tell other males I’m claimed and off the market.”

He doubted it, but one could hope.

“Maybe you’ll be calmer too.”

“I’m always going to be very possessive, Ally,” he warned her, his hand cupping and shaping one luscious breast while no one was looking, loving her sharp inhale. “It’s not part of my personality, but it’s who I am with you. You don’t have to tell me it’s not healthy to want to own you—mind, body, and soul. I already know that. And I already know it’s not good to want to possess every part of you, to be all you need and want. But I do anyway.” He narrowed his eyes at the large wolf that wandered too close. “Fuck off, Brack.”

With a playful snap of his teeth that made Ally smile, the wolf bounded away—crashing into Jesse’s wolf and then flopping onto the ground.

“Don’t,” she moaned quietly when Derren licked and nipped a particularly sensitive spot on her throat. “Not unless you want me to have an orgasm in front of all these people.” As his arousal trickled over her and fed her own, she gasped. “Oh my God, a part of you likes that idea.”

Derren laughed. “Like the idea that everyone can see how hard you come for me? Yeah, part of me does. But it’s not something I’d ever let happen.” He spoke into her ear as he discreetly pinched her nipple just shy of pain. “No one gets to see what you look like when you come but me.” He punctuated that with a sharp tug on her neglected nipple.

She moaned inwardly when his mouth latched onto her pulse and sucked. “That’ll change fast if you don’t stop touching and teasing me right now.”

“I’ll stop before you can come.”

Little bastard. “If you do that I’ll fake an orgasm in front of all these people so they can see just what I look like when I have one.”

He bit her jaw. “Hey, don’t you ever fake orgasms with me.”

She huffed. “I don’t get why guys get so pissed when girls do that. Hell, your gender can fake an actual relationship.”

His mouth twitched into a smile. “Oh, you’re getting all huffy and snippy.”

“I’m snippy pretty often.”

“It’s true that, emotionally, that’s your basic setting.”

“Why are you saying that with approval?”

“I like that you’re prickly, because you’re hot when you get all flustered. Even more so when you’re angry.” Seeing her worked up just made him want to fuck her until she was boneless and relaxed in his arms—and he often did. “I also like that I know what’s under that testy, impatient exterior.”

He would bet that many people would be surprised to find a great deal of softness and emotional insecurity under Ally’s tough surface. The fact that he saw sides of her no one else saw, that she let herself be open and, in effect, vulnerable around him . . . it gratified and humbled him and his wolf.

“Just like I know what’s under your serious, secretive, and relatively intolerant exterior.”

“Yeah?” He arched a brow. “And what’s that?”

“You have an unexpected playful streak.” He fussed over Willow sometimes but never enough so that people could see past his solemn surface. “You can be quite a relaxing person to be around when you haven’t got your guard up. And you’ve got an amazing singing voice. But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“It’s not amazing.”

“Oh, and there’s that too.”

“What?”

“You’re quite shy when it comes to revealing your talents.”

Derren nipped the tip of her ear, making her release a low yelp. “You really shouldn’t tease me, baby. Not unless you want a repeat of last night.”

Quietly, she hissed. “You spank my ass ever again and I’ll—”

“Love it, just like you did last night.” He chuckled at her snarl. “Hmm. It seems I have to prove it.” And he did exactly that later that evening . . . which earned him a rake of her claws to his chest. The brand did nothing but satisfy him.