Scarlet - Alpha Marked, Book I (4 page)

Hoping her mother’s teachings had been
correct, she stepped in front of the guard, redirecting the wolf’s
attention. “Madden?”

The rolling sound cut off the moment
his eyes met hers, the last of his air hissing from his lungs in a
sigh. “Scarlet.”

She waved behind her. “The Ruling
Alphas said I needed a guard. No need to get testy.”

Madden furrowed his brow.
“Wha—”

Keller cut him off. “I’m sure they
want to keep you safe.” He smiled and stepped around the table,
drawing her forward with a hand on her lower back. The seductive
scents of heated wood, raw power and man surrounded her, and she
melted into his side. “You already know how to handle our
Madden.”

She chanced a look at the wolf in
question and noted his smile. “Perhaps.” She turned her attention
back to Keller. “I’m not sure how to handle you,
though.”

“
I doubt that’ll be a
problem, sweet. I’m like any other wolf. Give me something to snack
on and you’ll have my attention.” She didn’t miss Keller’s
not-so-subtle innuendo.

“
Right,” she
drawled.

Keller pulled out the chair and she
sat between the two men. His heat warred with the inferno that
flowed from Madden. Two sides of the same coin, so alike, yet so
different.

The guard that had accompanied her
took up a post in front of the table. He and four others
essentially made a wall-o-wolves, cutting them off from the rest of
the diners. Talk about overkill.

*

Keller forced himself not to reveal
all. She didn’t know. Didn’t realize she was to be mated to the
Ruling Alphas. And that made him want her all the more.

Truly?
Madden’s voice floated to him, and he sensed his partner’s
vulnerability mixed with surprise. They’d had their share of women
come after them because of their position, but this human Marked
had no idea as to their identities.

Truly.

His shoulder throbbed, the heat
slithering through him and wrapping around his cock. He couldn’t
deny the scents of arousal surrounding them: her sweet musk
combining with his need and Madden’s desire. He’d long ago brushed
aside any embarrassment over his partner’s reactions when it came
to women. From the moment they’d paired, they’d shared women,
preparing themselves for their mate someday. Bodies touched, cocks
got hard. It was all part of sex. As long as lips didn’t wander and
swords didn’t cross, they were all good.

He fought to stifle his moan when
Scarlet’s tongue darted out to lick her lips.

It didn’t work. A pale blush stole up
her cheeks, and she glanced at him. “What? What are you looking
at?”

He smiled. He couldn’t suppress the
sappy grin that covered his features. “You.”

Madden eased toward her, closing in on
her from the other side, and Keller mirrored him. The flavors of
need grew, encompassing their small group. He knew she didn’t
recognize mates by scent, couldn’t smell their desire. Part of him
wished his sweet Marked was another wolf and could sense their
flavors in the air. But when she turned those brown eyes on him, so
needy, he didn’t care that she would always wear human skin and
never fur.

Keller’s shoulder seemed to be on
fire, scorching him and stroking his cock with an imaginary hand.
He moaned and leaned even closer, catching more of her scent,
hissing when the heat grew and his balls drew up tight.

“
I don’t understand…”
Scarlet shook her head as if clearing her mind.

Madden nuzzled her from behind,
rubbing his scruff along the pale skin of her neck. Keller watched
dark fur slide from his pores, evidence of the man’s wolf rising
and pushing at his control.

Keller felt the same, beast pouncing
and shoving at the wall that held it at bay. But he needed to go
slow, needed to keep from stripping his mate and taking her in
front of one and all. He was normally the more level-headed of the
two. Normally.

“
Shh…” He eased back,
forcing his muscles to relax, and he shoved at his wolf. “Madden,
give her some space.” His partner’s eyes glowed bright. “Man,
you’re scaring her. Knowing and feeling are two different things.”
The other wolf whimpered, and it was the first time he’d ever seen
his partner truly vulnerable.

Keller reached out and ran a finger
down her cheek, traced her jaw. The heat rose around them. “A kiss
for Madden, Scarlet? You can see he lives close to the
edge.”

Her arousal beat at his control. She
was a Marked, knew of Gathering laws, and he assumed she was
familiar with what happened when meeting her mates. But like he
said, knowing and feeling were two different things.

Scarlet nodded and turned her head, a
small movement that put her lips within Madden’s reach. His partner
struck, mouth moving over hers, and tongue delving into her.
Keller’s cock throbbed in his pants, silently demanding release,
but he held it back. Watching them, their mouths dancing, tongues
twining… Envy and jealousy had no place in their mating. All he
felt was pure bliss.

Madden’s feelings flowed over their
connection, the peacefulness that came from experiencing Scarlet’s
touch. He sensed his partner’s desperate need, a feeling greater
than his own, and he accepted that encouraging Scarlet to turn to
Madden first was the right decision.

They had a lifetime
together.

The seconds ticked by, the entwined
couple’s breathing growing heavier with every heartbeat.

Madden?

Mine.

Keller sighed. They’d go
through this until they’d claimed her. They were both dominant, but
Madden’s wolf had always been a little more so.
Ours, Madden.

A snarl tore through his
mind.

Madden, we need to take
care of our mate. I’m sure she’s hungry.

This time it was a growl, but their
kiss eased, lessening until his partner released their
woman.

Scarlet sat back with a sigh, fingers
trembling when she reached for her water glass.

“
Scarlet?” The last thing
he wanted to do was overwhelm her.

Scarlet licked her lips, and a light
blush tinged her cheeks. “Sorry. It was so…”

“
Big.” He tempted himself
with the feel of her skin beneath his hand. He stroked her arm,
letting his fingers slide over her softness. He wanted her no less
than Madden, but he didn’t want to scare his poor
Marked.

“
Yeah,” her whisper reached
his sensitive ears and then she turned toward him, glowing smile in
place. “Big.”

He echoed her expression, let her
feelings clasp him. “But big is good.”

Scarlet nodded, closed the distance
between them. “Big can be very, very good.”

She brushed her mouth across his, her
delicate tongue darting out to lap at his lips, and he resisted the
urge to surge into her. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, overpower her with
the depth of his need. Madden lacked control, but Keller’s passion
had always outpaced his partner’s.

The arousal that had been simmering
nearly bubbled over, the feelings so much stronger than what he’d
caught from Madden. Reluctantly, he ended their near-chaste kiss,
eased from her mouth and put distance between them. They were both
panting, fighting to catch their breath.

“
Dinner. We invited you out
for dinner.” He swallowed, mouth dry.

“
I vote for dessert.”
Madden’s voice was deep and hoarse. A glance revealed the wolf was
almost in control.

Scarlet turned back to Madden. While
he couldn’t see her expression, he could see his partner’s. She
reached out and cupped the other wolf’s cheek. He saw the sappy
smile that graced his features. Keller was awed when the smattering
of fur receded to reveal skin. He didn’t listen to her low words;
he merely enjoyed seeing the tension recede from Madden.

Yes, she was the perfect one for
them.

“
Easy big guy.” She rubbed
her thumb along Madden’s pronounced cheekbone. “We’ll get there.
Soon.”

Scarlet’s heart thundered, pummeling
her rib cage as fear and need warred. Part of her ached to listen
to Madden: to do as her body asked and follow them up to their room
to solidify their bond.

Her Mark throbbed in an
ever-increasing rhythm, each pulse reaching down to stroke her
clit. Her nipples were hard within her top, pressing and straining
against her silk and lace bra.

Their arousal was palpable.
Even without their sensitive noses, she sensed their desire. For
her.
Her.
Curvy,
plump Scarlet Wickham. A nobody.

Keller and Madden’s nearness wreaked
havoc on her body. She wanted to rub against them and purr like a
cat. Yet she also ached to run and hide from the feelings their
closeness elicited.

She had no delusions of a forever love
or immediate appearance of deep emotions, but…but the Mark laid
down the building blocks. It fed their emotions and encouraged them
to bloom.

And there was some kind of
blooming.

Her heart was already engaged with
these two massive Alphas. While Madden seemed intense, Keller was
banked aggression. The larger wolf charged in, and her other mate
was more watchful but no less fierce.

“
I still vote for dessert.”
Madden’s voice no longer held the rough scratch of his wolf, but
she saw it lurking beneath his skin.

Damn, she wanted them both. Ached for
them to release their passions and claim her. Every part of her
being screamed for their touch. There was only one thing she could
do.

She’d calmed the raging wolf, and now
she was about to poke him with a stick. Yum.

Turning from Madden, she gave Keller
her attention. She noted the hint of yellow in his eyes, the
sprinkle of barely-there fur along his cheeks and the flash of fang
when he smiled. Her sweeter mate was on the edge.

“
Keller?” She couldn’t
breathe, lungs frozen from the choice she was about to
voice.

“
Yes, sweet?” He eased
closer, his heavy scent enveloping her.

“
I think it’s time for
dessert.”

The man’s eyes did flicker yellow,
then gray fur sprouted and coated his skin. A snarl echoed behind
her, but her attention was focused on the battle warring across
Keller’s features. The wolf wanted out, she saw it, but the human
half of him wouldn’t let it free. He kept it caged and locked up
tight.

She couldn’t have that.

Claw tipped fingers gripped her upper
arms, and she was yanked back, Madden’s form molding against
her.

“
Mine.” His snarl overrode
every other sound in the room.

Sharp fangs scraped along her exposed
neck, and a shudder overtook her body causing arousal to slam into
her. She tilted her head to the side, encouraging Madden’s
attentions, letting the fierce wolf sample her.

Through it all, she kept her gaze on
Keller, daring and taunting him with her intent focus.

Reaching up, she threaded her fingers
through Madden’s hair, ran her digits through his strands. He
licked and sucked her skin, stoking her desire with each
touch.

When his tongue traced her ear, she
moaned and gasped, pussy flooding with moisture. She wanted him,
them. Now.

Scarlet squeezed her thighs together,
taking pleasure in the pressure and working to alleviate some of
the blissful ache surrounding her clit. Her heat clenched,
tightening, and even more cream soaked her panties.

Before her, Keller’s nostrils flared,
his wolf catching her scent.

Madden’s growls and groans intruded,
adding to her panting moans. “Need.”

The word was barely recognizable, but
she sympathized. Need was one way to put it. Soul deep craving was
another, but whatever.

His large, warm hand stroked her side,
squeezing gently before continuing its travels. The touch shifted
and rose along her rib cage to cup her left breast.

His callused palm easily engulfed her
plump mound. He squeezed and kneaded her flesh, thumb circling her
hard nipple. The added touch sent another zing of ecstasy rocketing
through her, heading to her needy pussy.

“
Madden,” she gasped and
moaned, pressing into his touch.

And still Keller observed them, eyes
entirely yellow and glowing in the dim restaurant. His muscles were
tense, straining beneath his skin.

She wanted him to lose control, let
all that tension free.

Madden sucked on her neck, adding in a
piercing nibble between licks.

“
God, yes. Mate.” She
moaned and rocked in her chair, searching for added pressure
against her pussy.

Then her wishes were answered. Madden
abandoned her breast, his hand wandering down her stomach, over the
slight swell, and his fingers fisted her skirt. The hem rose higher
and higher, increasing her arousal with each climbing inch. Cool
air bathed her soaked, silk covered pussy.