Dear god. This was bad. She had to do something.
“There is a pack who wants to take your land,” Kerrigan blurted. Trager’s hold became tighter on her neck, but she ignored it. “We came to warn you because Trager didn’t want to see his family hurt. And I… I didn’t want to see him hurt. But quite frankly, you’re all pissing me off, and I couldn’t care less what the Ravendales do to you.”
The alpha’s mate jerked her head as if Kerrigan had slapped her. It was the first reaction she’d seen from the poor woman.
Slowly, the alpha turned on Kerrigan. “What did you say?” he hissed.
“The Ravendales are coming for Ozarka,” Trager answered. “Cael wants revenge. You’ve been warned, now I’d like to take my mate and go.”
The alpha’s enraged gaze never wavered from Kerrigan. “No one leaves after dark.”
“See, thing is, you’re not my alpha. I’ll leave when I want to.”
In a flash, the alpha had both hands wrapped around Trager’s neck, squeezing. Kerrigan screamed, but no one seemed to care. As if they witnessed their alpha choking people on a daily basis.
“You’ll leave at first light,” his voice shook with barely-contained fury and raw power. “Or you won’t leave at all. Understand?”
Trager’s eyes bulged, but he managed to nod.
The alpha held him a second longer before letting go. Trager coughed and sputtered, trying to draw in breath.
“Vesh,” the alpha barked, “Show them to a cabin. The rest of you, go home.” He spun, grabbing his mate roughly by the arm, and dragging her through the crowd.
Kerrigan reached for her wolf. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, and pulled her toward the door after Vesh.
Outside, the crowd was buzzing. People broke off in various directions, following the alpha’s orders, she assumed.
Vesh led them to a small single room cabin, and pushed the door open. “Have fun,” he said, distracted, and then set off into the woods without a second glance.
“Inside,” Trager ordered.
The room was dark, but she found a lamp on the table and switched it on while Trager locked the door.
“Shit,” he muttered, staring at the floor. “That went well.”
Kerrigan rubbed her arms, trying to stop the chill that wouldn’t leave her. She spied her suitcase and a duffle bag in the corner of the room, next to the fireplace.
Somehow she managed to mumble the question she was afraid to ask. “Will he let us go tomorrow?”
Trager stared at her. “He has no reason to keep us, and under the law, he can’t.”
Okay, then.
It was time for her and Trager to have a serious talk.
Chapter Fourteen
The alpha couldn’t hold them. Trager hadn’t sworn allegiance to him. Not even as a child, since he’d been expelled before he was old enough. They just had to get through this night.
He watched his mate, judging her level of distress. She was scared. The scent was stronger than he’d ever smelled before. She was worried. Understandably. Everything she’d seen tonight had been disturbing. The thing with Vesh and Avan. The alpha’s dominance. The son-of-a-bitch’s demand that Trager mark her in public, like a dog.
He turned to the wall so she wouldn’t see how angry he was. She’d had enough of that for one night.
It was bad enough that the pack treated him like shit, but then to use his mate as a bargaining tool? To treat their joining as a public spectacle, not worthy of privacy. No. Fucking no. They wouldn’t lessen the experience. It would be done right, and when she was ready. If she was ever ready.
Her hand landed softly between his tense shoulder blades, causing him to flinch.
“Come lay down with me.” Her soft voice was peace for the storm that raged inside him.
“Can’t,” he ground out.
“Why?”
How could he explain? “My wolf… the urge to… I need to…”
She must’ve understood what he was trying to say because she stepped back and pulled her shirt over her head. His eyes went directly to her breasts. Strands of her hair danced over the tops, as if they were kissing them for Trager since he couldn’t.
“Not like this,” he choked out.
“Like what?”
“I’m wound too tight. I won’t be gentle. We need to wait.”
She unbuttoned her jeans, slid them down. “Are you denying me? According to everyone else, that’s my job.”
He looked away.
“You should’ve told me about that.”
He stared hard into her eyes. “I didn’t want you to know. I hate thinking about it. I don’t ever want you to deny me.” He hauled her close. “With us, I want it to always be yes, no matter what the question is.”