Merrily Mated(26)

“Mason,” he rushed out. “It was Mason.”

Layna’s jaw snapped shut in surprise. That wasn’t a name she anticipated coming out of his mouth.

“Mason?”

A slow smile curved Ryan’s lips, and he looked like he wanted to laugh. “Yeah, Mason.”

Layna narrowed her eyes. “He gave you his mating mark?”

That wiped the grin from his face faster than a windshield wiper and a squashed bug.

“What? No. God, no. This was an accident,” he said, gesturing to the mostly healed claw mark on his arm.

Layna sat up, raking her hands through her hair. “An accident? Explain.”

“We were sparring and he couldn’t handle my trash talk. His claws slipped out, and he got my arm.” Ryan shrugged. “It was no big deal.”

She shook her head. This didn’t make any sense. Mason was the most controlled of all the Ouachita cats. He never lost his temper. He was zen to the nth degree. His claws didn’t slip out.

“No way,” she argued. “First, we don’t just accidently claw people. Not that deep and not in the place where mating marks are usually found. And second, are you telling me Mason lost his temper? Mason? The calmest of us all?”

Ryan frowned, crossing his arms and making his biceps bulge. Damn, her man was built.

“If it wasn’t an accident, then why?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense.”

Layna rose up on her knees and leaned forward, bracing her hands on his arms. Bringing her nose to the claw marks, she pulled in a deep breath. There was nothing but Ryan’s scent and their mixed arousal.

“That’s really fucking hot, you know. You smelling me.”

She rubbed her nose on the smooth, taut skin that covered well-cut muscle. And then her cheek, letting the feel of him calm her cat.

The mark wasn’t what she thought. She didn’t know what it meant, but it wasn’t a claiming.

“So… just to be clear, you weren’t with any other females?”

His face softened and the corner of his mouth turned upward. “No, baby. There’s only been you since I moved to the lodge. You got in my heart and the idea of being with anyone else just wasn’t right.”

“Yeah?” She was so relieved she felt like a leaf shaking in the breeze.

“Yeah,” he husked, reaching forward and catching her chin between his thumb and finger.

Closing the distance between them, his lips had barely grazed hers when a knock on the door had them jerking apart.

Ryan groaned, resting his forehead to hers, and she mirrored his frustration.

“Not now,” he growled.

“It can’t wait.” Magic’s voice rumbled through the thick wood of the door.

“Shit,” Ryan cursed, dragging a hand through his hair.

“Go away, Magic,” she called over her shoulder.

“I should probably talk to him.” The guilty look on Ryan’s face caught Layna’s attention. “We… uh… I kind of… punched him when I got here.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “You did?”

His shoulders jacked up and his chin jutted stubbornly. “I had to. He wouldn’t let me see you.”

“You punched our leader because he wouldn’t let you see me?”

“Yeah. I did. And I’m not sorry. So if you’re gonna be mad at me—”

She cut him off with a hard kiss.

She wasn’t mad. And chances were Magic wasn’t either. It might seem like a small thing, but Ryan fighting to see her was exactly the perfect reaction. No dominant male would let anyone stand between him and his female. Even if that meant going head to head with the alpha.

Magic’s muffled voice interrupted their kiss. “Look, it isn’t about the damn scuffle in the parking lot okay? Gash is here with me and we have some important information you both need to hear.”

Ryan sighed. “Yeah, okay. Give us a minute.”

Crawling from the bed, he jerked his t-shirt back over his head and then looked at Layna, his eyes combing over her bare body.

“Shit,” he muttered. “No clothes. I left all my stuff in Memphis.” He looked around the room and retrieved his sweatshirt from the floor, tossing it to her. “Put this on.”

She stood and slipped it over her head, pulling it down to try and cover her ass. Ryan eyed her hips where the shirt fell just below her cheeks, and he shook his head, his nostrils flaring.

“Hell nope. Not even close to good enough. Climb back in bed.”

She did as he said, pulling the sheet over her legs. He started for the door, but then doubled back, yanking the thick quilt up over the sheet and tucking it around her hips.

“There.”