Taken By The Alpha(12)

Carver, who was there to report on pack security issues, shrugged. “We won’t have to worry about it in a month, will we?”

Everyone else nodded. They all were utterly confident that Maddox would win.

Maddox nodded. “Still good to know.”

After a few more minutes of business updates, it was Carver’s turn. “We still haven’t identified the person who tried to break Katrina out of her room. We’ve questioned everybody, searched all rooms on the property, both personal and public, and we’ve got nothing. My money is on someone who came over from the Mordhaus pack.”

Carver had been against Killingworth taking in the members of the Mordhaus pack at all. There had been eight of them so far, and outwardly at least, they were easy to deal with, eager to fit in and hadn’t caused any trouble.

“And we’ve still made no progress on tracing those calls made to the Mordhaus pack?” Maddox asked.

Somebody had made several calls to the Mordhaus pack’s extension using a burner phone, which had been found discarded in the bushes during a surprise security drill by Carver and his men. The pack always remained prepared for an attack.

“Nothing,” Carver said. “There were no fingerprints on it, and noscentium was applied to disguise the user’s identity.

“It is possible that the person was just calling friends family members that they missed,” Cecily said. “They might not have been spying on us.” She was a schoolteacher, in charge of education, and always wanted to think the best of everyone.

“It’s possible that bats could fly out of my ass, but it’s not likely,” Carver said.

“Don’t talk to my aunt that way,” her nephew Drew, the head of agriculture and livestock, snapped.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Carver growled at him.

Both men went hairy and their snouts elongated, and they bristled and snarled at each other for a few seconds until Maddox let out a sharp bark of anger. “Enough! Back to business. Carver, watch your language around the ladies.”

Carver bowed his head to indicate his respect for the Alpha. “Yes sir. Won’t happen again.”

It probably would, because Carver tended to have a foul mouth, but he’d shut up for the time being.

“One more thing, before I forget,” Carver said. “Heather’s father hasn’t checked in to the rehab center yet. It’s been three days since we kicked him out.”

Maddox nodded curtly. He didn’t expect this to end well.

After the meeting, he went outside and walked through the common area on his way back to his quarters.

He felt that warm, pleasurable swell sweep over his body, which meant that Katrina was somewhere nearby. It was dark out, and electric lanterns cast yellow pools of light on the central common square and lit the paths between the buildings.

She sat at a picnic table in the common area, with Heather, who was her shadow these days. A shifter named Phillip was on guard duty. Caroline and Peony and Teresa were there too.

From what he’d been told, Peony had just announced she was delaying her marriage to Alexander. Alexander claimed he had no idea why, and Peony refused to talk about it. Emotions and relationships weren’t really Maddox’s thing, so he’d let it go.

Katrina and Heather were leaning in over some crafts project, their heads bent towards each other, off in their own little world. Was Katrina thinking of him as much as he thought of her?

He’d been doing his very best to avoid Katrina for the past few days, but it was getting harder and harder to deny the hunger and need that swelled up inside him. He didn’t bother to slake that thirst with any of the other pack females; he knew it wouldn’t satisfy him. And on some level, he knew it would hurt Katrina and he didn’t want to do that.

He’d sent other wolves in to bring her breakfast, had other wolves guarding her while she was hanging out with the rest of the pack during the day.

It didn’t help. He couldn’t stop thinking about that night a few days past, when he’d lain on top of her soft naked body and smelled the intoxicating scent of her aroma. The sound of her moans when he moved, when he bent down to kiss her…

He realized that without even meaning too, he was headed over to her table.

Well, that was okay. He had a matter he needed to discuss with her anyway.

He saw Katrina tense up when he got close, a subtle change in body language that only he would notice. She sensed him when he was near, the same way that he did her.

“Katrina,” he said, when he got to the table. “I need to talk to you.”

When Katrina got up, Heather tried to follow her, but Katrina leaned down and said something to her. Heather looked unhappy.

Katrina let him lead her away from the table into a dark area of the

“Well, well, a rare sighting of the shifter species known as the common North American jackass. I gather that you’ve come to your senses and you’re letting me go?” she said.

“Not happening, babe. Listen, Katrina, here’s the thing. Heather really likes you.”

She shrugged. “Well, of course. I’m totally awesome and very likable. Lovable, some might even say.”

“But she’s already lost her mother, she’s probably going to lose her father too, and you’re leaving in a few weeks.. And you’ve only been here a few days and she’s latched on to you like a barnacle.”

Katrina grimaced. “You’re right. About this. You’re wrong about everything else in the universe, of course. I know It’s not fair to let her get too close and then leave. It’s a shame, I love spending time with her. She’s my perfect little craftsy helper.” She glanced up at him. “Her father’s not getting any better?”

“Apparently not.”

“I guess I should somehow avoid her, but I need to do it without hurting her feelings. Should I just stay in my room until after the Death Match?”

Maddox felt a sharp twist inside him. Katrina was a decent enough person that she really would sit in her room by herself for the few weeks rather than hurt Heather.

He shook his head. “No. I’ll just make sure that Heather stays on the other side of the property with one of the other families while you’re here. It’s best for her.”

Katrina nodded. “I’ll tell her good night and then head back to my room,” she said, looking glum.

Maddox paused. He couldn’t believe that he was about to ask her this, but what could it hurt…Peony had been looking miserable for the past few days.

“Do you have any idea why the wedding was delayed?” he asked quietly.

“Because Alexander’s mother is an overbearing bitch who constantly insults Peony and her family, and Alexander doesn’t do jack to stop it,” Katrina said, her tone heated. Then she looked at him speculatively. “Maybe you could talk to him. Try the angle that he’s failing to protect his mate to be. Or tell him to freaking wolf up and be a big boy. Something. Peony totally loves him, except for that.”

Maddox nodded. If Katrina weren’t the stepdaughter of his mortal enemy, he’d think that his perfect mate had walked right in to the pack. She fit in with almost everyone, the pack members were already sharing confidences with her…and he had no doubt that sex with her would be the best he’d ever had.

“I’ll deal with it,” he said, his tone more curt than he intended, but he ignored the flash of hurt on her face and walked away quickly.

* * *



“Note to self, ask for sleeping pills tomorrow,” Katrina muttered to no-one at 3 a.m. She felt irritable and tired and her fur itched under her skin and she was ready to explode. She’d shifted and paced the floor earlier. Hadn’t helped.

She was sad that she couldn’t hang out with Heather any more, although she agreed with Maddox that it was for the best.

And she was exhausted because every single night she lay awake in bed knowing that Maddox on the other side of her wall, and sleep eluded. She thought of them lying on that soft mossy forest floor, and imagined what would have happened if Maddox hadn’t stopped himself. She’d have let him take her any way he wanted. From behind. On all fours. Anything. She’d have taken him in her mouth, tasted his come…

She heard a whistling sound, and then her window shuttled inward and exploded. A shower of glass rained inward, and she fell off the bed on to the floor. Her arms were bleeding from small cuts, and shards of glass clung to her pajamas. She plucked them of and tossed them aside, dazed.

Smoke. The room was full of smoke. She crawled towards the door, which flew open before she reached it.

“Katrina?” Maddox’ voice was panicked. He bent down and scooped her up in his arms. Shifters were running down the hall, cursing.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Her ears were ringing. She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Wasn’t there a guard outside my window? Go check on him. I feel panic and pain – well, not too bad – he’s not dying. He’s calming down.”

“There’ll be others checking on him,” he growled.

He ran into his room and set her down on his bed, a big oak four-poster.

Carver stuck his head in the door. “Maddox! You okay?” he yelled.

“Go get the healer,” Maddox called out. “I’m fine.”