Single Wicked Wolf (10 page)

Easy enough to answer, she shook her head.

“All right, stay right there.”

No problem. Her ass was parked until he didn’t snarl, growl, or look cross-eyed in her direction. Well at least until he told her she could go. A moment later, he pressed something on his phone and she heard the ring. Trying to ignore the conversation in her wolf form didn’t work as well as in her human.

“Hey, Lexi, I found Murphy, she needs a good run and she’s agitated. You mind if I take her for one?” Her Alpha, asking for permission, stunned her. Not making any pretense, she stared at him. He had his back to her, but she could still hear Alexis perfectly well.

“I want to come! Mom is here and she can watch Melissa.” Excitement bounded in Lexi’s voice and Murphy wanted to leap. She hadn’t had a chance to see her yet.

“Perfect. Grab anyone around, we’ll be that way in about ten minutes, maybe fifteen to pick you up and we’ll take a good long run.”

As distractions went, Mason’s idea went a long way to dispelling the remaining confusion. After he ended the call, he glanced at her. “Yes, I ask my mate when I’m going to go running with an unmated female. It’s considered polite.”

She could see that.

“Besides,” Mason chuckled as he began stripping and she focused elsewhere. “You want to be the one who pisses her off?”

Oh hell no
. Alexis had a wicked temper in school, even when she choked it off to keep from challenging the other wolves. Letting her tongue loll out, Murphy reveled in the Alpha’s changing scent as he shifted. Nearly twice her size, he was a monster. He caught her muzzle between his teeth and held it without biting down.

He was Alpha, she was to obey. Message received. Satisfied, he let her go and paced away then snapped a bark. Released from his earlier order, she danced to her feet tail wagging. Lagging behind him a couple of steps, she couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder to where Giovanni was.

Hopefully his night went well. He had work to do and she would see him at the wedding. Mason called from ahead and she snapped her attention forward. Ears forward and gaze intent, he wasn’t accepting no for an answer. He took off and she gave chase, following him as he wound through the trees. Ahead, fresh howls called to her and the pack song thrummed in her blood.

We’ll see Giovanni soon, until then…
she would run with her pack.

Wedding day dawned with a rush of activity. With her mother in tow, Murphy joined the pack mates swarming the Sullivan house. Despite her mother’s entreaties to have Shiloh stay at the family home the night before her wedding, she arrived with the other women to get their hair and nails done. Conversation flowed throughout and Murphy soaked in the sisterhood of pack as she waved her nails dry.

Her hair had taken the least amount of time. Each of the bridesmaids had chosen varying styles, since her hair fell in perfect, straight waves she’d gone for down. It shone from brushing with a little help of a straightener to take care of fly-aways. Her manicure and pedicure pampered her, the contact easing some of the restlessness still invading her despite the run the night before.  She stood in the kitchen sipping a cup of tea so she wouldn’t be under foot.

The front door slammed, and Amelia’s angry scent raided the kitchen ahead of her as she stomped inside. Dressed in slacks and a plain white shirt, she also reeked of cleaner and pine scents. She’d thought Amelia would be one of the bridesmaids, she
was
Shiloh’s older sister, but Shiloh had simply said no.

Practically vibrating with dislike, Amelia glared at the ceiling. Above them, the others continued laughing and chatting as though unaware of the malice bubbling away below. Jerking the fridge open, Amelia pulled out a bottle of water then twisted the cap off. Inside sat the cake, it took up almost all three levels and nearly the whole fridge had been cleared for it.

Delia had made it herself in a show of genuine involvement. The act was truly precious to Shiloh, because her mother had been so opposed to her turning much less mating a wolf. Not moving, Murphy waited as Amelia continued to glare at the cake, the debate in her soul damn near visible for the scent she threw off.

When she squeezed the water bottle and drew it back as though she planned to throw it, Murphy cleared her throat.

Whirling the other woman, stared at her in shock. “You’re here.”

“Yes I am,” she pitched her voice low, trusting it wouldn’t carry over the noise the other women were making. “I don’t know why you’re so jealous of your sister, or what ax you have to grind. But if you try to hurt her cake or ruin her day, I’ll give you a black eye to rival junior high
and
I’ll break your arm.”

“You always were such a bitch.” The response didn’t surprise her, she’d known Amelia too long and it made her sad. After kicking the door closed, she drained her water bottle and made a great show of walking the refuse to the recycle bin. “I don’t care if she gets married or has a litter of puppies. Mom may have caved because she wanted a wedding, but Shiloh shouldn’t have…” Instead of finishing the other woman shook her head and said. “Fuck it, I don’t care.”

“She’s your sister.”

“So what?” The empty response served as her farewell, because she walked out and left Murphy to stare after her. Amelia Sullivan had issues and she was starting to think her issues had issues.

Torn between following her and leaving it alone, she sighed. Above the girls were singing, “We’re going to the chapel and we’re…”

****

The wedding had been scheduled for late afternoon. Patience in all things had always been Giovanni’s strong suit, yet he found himself pacing more and more as the hour of the wedding approached. Retrieving his Alpha and their party from the airport had filled some time. Attending Mason and Salvatore’s sit down had taken another part. Overseeing Margo’s trip to see her family he’d tackled so he could steal a glance for Murphy.

Unfortunately, Margo’s family did not live anywhere near Murphy’s. The conversation boomed around him as they laughed, caught up and Margo teased her younger brother about his mating. The sounds were full of life, family and the scent of pack. Rodrigo shared the duty with him and they stood like sentinels as the celebration continued.

When it was finally time to head to the wedding site, he settled. The time to corner their prey approached. Predatory stillness rested within his wolf, they watched. They waited. She was coming.

A stream of people arrived, human and wolf alike. Margo greeted several of the mated pairs, and one couple earned the attention of every wolf present. Even Salvatore looked intrigued when he was introduced. Distracted, Giovanni studied the wolf. She did not seem all that remarkable, yet her Hunter mate hovered and something about her…the breeze shifted and he caught her scent.

Omega.
His wolf straightened. They had only ever met one other Omega, he could understand the intrigue surrounding her. Still, she was not the wolf he wanted to see. Returning to his scanning of the crowd, he stayed where he could intercept any issue approaching his Alpha pair while still keeping watch for Murphy. The sweet call of sage and mint twined through the air, and the world around him hushed.

As a bridesmaid, she would be one of the last to enter so when it was time for everyone to sit, he took a position that would put him in her line of sight. With one motion to Rodrigo, he ordered the other Centurion to cover his post. The three would take care of their Alpha pair. They would be well protected.

The first bridesmaid to walk down the makeshift aisle was no one he recognized, nor the second, but the third.
Murphy.

Entering from a grove filled with leaves, she emerged in a dress of burnt sienna, the perfect shade of the leaves which made up the “carpet” they walked along. Her hair fell in perfect waves, framing her gorgeous face. A light amount of cosmetics added shadows to her eyes and her lipstick matched her dress.

Stunning. She tracked her gaze across the gathering and locked with his. Smiling, he drank in the welcome vision. The dress bodice hugged her curves, yet also hid his marks. The man appreciated the modesty, but the wolf didn’t give a damn if she walked down that aisle naked as long as everyone saw she belonged to him.

He barely heard a word spoken or paid any attention to the bride. Once Murphy reached the end of the aisle, she stood before the man who would minister the ceremony and Giovanni studied her. She fared better than he, her attention divided but he didn’t want to release it. Whenever their gazes collided, he held her longer and longer.

A flash of gold sparked in her eyes and his wolf crouched. If she ran, they would chase and they would catch her. By the time the bride and groom were declared man and wolf—a cute turn of phrase he planned to admire later—he had all of Murphy’s attention. Her wolf knew. She understood.

Applause rippled across those gathered and shouts of encouragement rang in the air. The mated—and now newly wedded couple—howled together, before bursting into laughter. Murphy’s expression didn’t change, but her nostrils flared. As the crowd surged forward to greet the happy couple, Giovanni stalked forward.

He’d been patient for a full thirty-six hours. Thirty-six hours too long since he’d seen her—tasted her—given her pleasure and found his own in her arms. She wore his mark and by the time the night ended, he’d finish the bond. The closer he drew, the more she trembled. Petals and leaves fell from the autumn flowers she held in her hand.

The sounds of celebration died slowly, and a hush spread over the assembled. Suddenly Mason stood between him and his quarry. Murphy wavered, and her tongue flicked over her lips. The Alpha looked annoyed. “Right now?” He demanded.

Salvatore saved Mason’s life as he came between Giovanni and the Alpha. “Right now,” Salvatore answered. Power swelled between the two as they stared off, but Giovanni ignored it all. Salvatore said he would take care of the rest, so Giovanni zeroed in on the one who mattered.

Still trembling, she passed the flowers off to one of the other bridesmaids. The girl giggled, but she withdrew and one by one the other wolves got the hell out of his way. Finally Mason and Salvatore cleared the field. Continuing forward, he gave her time to accept the inevitable.

She was
his
. His mate. He’d recognized her from the first moment he caught her scent, the potential existed but he’d not understood it at the same time. Making excuses for his fascination, he followed her and then he put himself in her path.

“You’re doing it again,” she said, and her voice carried across the slowly decreasing space between them.

“Yes,” he agreed. “I am making the decision.”

The corner of her mouth quirked. Would she run? Planting a hand on her hip, she raised her chin and her trembling all but ceased. Or would she reject his suit?

It was her right. If she repudiated him, her pack would close ranks around her and he would have to line the road with bodies to reach her again.

“We talked about this.” Neither trepidation nor reproach lingered in her voice.

“Yes,” he nodded. Close enough to touch, he tilted his head. “Do you remember what I said?”

Licking her lips, she sucked in a deep breath. Her pulse thundered and he could practically feel it racing. “You weren’t going to apologize for looking after me and I wasn’t so much irritated with your choices as with you making them an order.”

Very good.
“I am not ordering you now,
cara
.”

Not once did she look away, holding his gaze without hint of challenge or defiance. Trust shimmered in those golden wolf eyes. Trust she’d shown from the first moment he’d taken her in the airport and repeated time and again. His wolf clawed at him, but he ignored the animal.

The decision was hers. If she ran…he would chase her.

“You do realize I’m wearing the wrong shoes for this?” The humor in her tone and the sharpness of her answer sundered the tension around them and everyone laughed.

“You can always take them off.”

Murphy tilted her head. “True…the dress might get in the way.”

“You can take it off, too.” He had no problem with it. Let them all see how gorgeous she was.

“Will you give me a head start?”

“No.”

Her grin squeezed his heart. “Hmm…
Signor
Esposito?” She leaned to the side and his wolf snapped at her attention going to anyone, even his Alpha.

“
Si
,
Signorina
DeWitt?”

“It’s nice to meet you, looking forward to long chats at some point, but can I ask for a favor?”

“Shall I order him to let you have a head start?” So ripe with humor, even the Willow Bend wolves were beside themselves laughing.

Joining his soon to be mate, Giovanni stared at his Alpha.
He wouldn’t.

Margo had a hand over her mouth, and her eyes positively danced with mirth. Even Clayborne seemed entertained. Salvatore for his part simply gave him the most benign unreadable look. No Alpha interfered with a mating…no one would…

A hush of movement jerked Giovanni around and he found Murphy’s shoes and her dress lying on the ground. Head snapping up, he caught a flash of movement ahead.

She’d run.

Thrill soared through him and he hurtled after her.

Behind him, cheers, howls and catcalls filled the night.

Chapter Seven

She couldn’t believe it worked, but distraction as she’d learned not necessity, was truly the mother of all invention. The precious seconds Giovanni glared at his Alpha gave her time to shuck the dress and the shoes. Running through the woods on bare feet in her underwear wasn’t exactly her idea of a good time, but she didn’t slow to think. Giovanni wanted her.

More, she wanted him. Her wolf had stood inside her and tried to tear free of her skin the moment they’d locked gazes. Mate. The chant had been a litany throughout the wedding. The delicious, gorgeous hunk of male who’d turned her inside out was her mate.

Racing through the trees, she followed the hide and go seek path she and Shiloh discovered as kids. The thickness of the leaves always disguised their scent especially in fall and made it harder for the wolves to track them. It was their only advantage, sliding she nearly collided with a tree. The world slowed as she hit her knee and the leaves seemed to part of their own accord. The hiss was her only warning as the copperhead lunged.