Gabriella - Alpha Marked, Book II (2 page)

“I’ve been engaged with the Ruling Alphas.
You are aware of this.” He did his best to soothe his wolf. They
wouldn’t tangle with this one. She wasn’t their Gabriella. “What do
you need?”

Hannah simpered, a tiny flash of hurt filling
her eyes as she poked out her lower lip. “I thought you and I
could…”

The rustle of moving bodies drew his
attention away from the woman and back to the ballroom. Alpha Pairs
and the Marked were all rising from their tables, the din of their
voices growing with each passing second. The morning Tests of
Proximity were done, and they were breaking for a brief lunch.
Based on the Alpha Mate’s schedule… No, she’d told him to call her
Scarlet. Right. Well, based on
Scarlet’s
schedule, his
Gabriella would be dining with her sisters at one of the hotel’s
restaurants.

Berke cut Hannah off. “Unfortunately, I’m on
duty.” He turned his back on her, gaze scanning the growing crowd
in search of his quarry.

“Maybe we can get together later. You, me,
Jack…”

He rolled his eyes and glanced over his
shoulder. As if his best friend and Lieutenant would be up for her
once he met Gabriella. Right now Berke just needed to get away from
this woman and on his Marked’s tail. “Yeah, maybe.”

It’d taken some fast talking to get
permission to guard Gabriella since he was the Captain and not some
normal soldier. At breakfast that morning, he’d first laid eyes on
the delicious woman. He’d let his gaze trail over her curves,
taking in every inch of her seductive body, and he’d burned. His
cock had gone instantly hard while a heat seared his left bicep.
He’d rubbed the spot, watching avidly as she did the same.

Before he could take a step toward the woman,
the Ruling Alphas had appeared and taken him away. His wolf roared
and snarled its objections but submitted to the much stronger pair.
From there it became a battle of wills, the Ruling Alphas adamant
in their protection of their mate’s sister while he was just as
determined to claim her. Unfortunately, they wanted to keep him
from her while he wanted to keep everyone else away.

Eventually, he’d won. Or rather, the Ruling
Alphas had tired of arguing with him and could no longer be from
Scarlet’s side. They’d rushed off to be with their mate and he’d
rushed…here.

Spotting his destined within the crowd, Berke
went on the move, weaving through Alpha Pairs and Marked alike as
he fought to keep her within sight. He knew her destination; he
just needed to ensure she arrived safely. Nothing was more
important that Gabriella. Nothing.

The throng grew, thousands of bodies pouring
into the massive hallways of the hotel. Their voices echoed off the
marble flooring and against the high ceilings.

His Marked wove and strode amongst the
gathering, dancing farther and farther from his position. Using his
massive bulk, he pushed past Alpha Pair after Alpha Pair, ignoring
the grumbles, snarls, and growls that trailed behind him. Some
appeared to take exception, their glowing yellow eyes focusing on
him, but a curve of his lip and flash of fang quickly subdued them.
No one wanted to tangle with the Ruling Alphas’ Captain of the
Guard. He was respected and feared in nearly equal measure, and he
readily admitted that he liked the fact that fear won out every
once in a while.

Berke caught up to Gabriella just as she
dashed into the upscale restaurant. Two of his guards were
stationed at the entrance, and they both nodded at her appearance.
They lived only because their gazes didn’t linger on her body.

Keeping his distance, he slipped into the dim
space behind her. If he got too close, she’d sense his presence,
for without a doubt, her Mark would respond to him just as it had
that morning. But he couldn’t approach her or woo her, until he
settled the issue of not being part of an Alpha Pair.

Details.

Splitting his attention between Gabriella and
the room at large, he spotted his quarry: Lieutenant Jack Wright.
The moment his Marked settled at the table with her sisters Scarlet
and Whitney, he diverted his course. His Lieutenant was stationed
along the wall, body tense and watchful as he surveyed the
room.

Jack focused on Berke and straightened,
coming to attention. “Captain.”

Berke shook his head. “Jack, we need to
talk.”

The wolf’s eyes narrowed, immediately
suspicious. “Captain, I’m not sure what we need to discuss.”

His beast growled, not caring for the man’s
aggression and tone. Jack was an Alpha through and through, but so
was he. “We need to
discuss
the future.”

“There’s nothing to say, Captain.” The last
word was practically spat at him.

This argument was an old one. Berke would say
they needed to talk about their status as single wolves instead of
an Alpha Pair. Jack would get defensive because Berke wouldn’t just
“leave it alone.” Eventually, it’d all end in a fight capped off
with a few beers. They were men. It was what they did.
Misunderstandings equaled anger equaled bloody fights and then
beer.

Sometimes an Alpha just needed to get his
fang on. But Jack wasn’t an Alpha. Right.

“Fine.” Until now he’d kept Jack on the
periphery of assigned duties. Berke had been expected to remain at
the Ruling Alphas’ sides, which meant the next senior officer
needed to corral the rest of the guards. “Go relieve Hawkins by the
Sisters Wickham.” He smirked then, imagining what was to come for
his oldest friend. “After lunch, you’ll be responsible for
Gabriella. I’ll meet you outside of the ballroom around two. She’s
got a few more hours of Proximity testing this afternoon.”

Berke’s wolf wasn’t happy about leaving
Gabriella, but Jack needed to face the truth for himself.

The two of them were Alphas.

Together they were an Alpha Pair.

Even better, Gabriella Wickham was their
Marked mate.

*

Jack Wright glared at his retreating
commander’s back, unsure of the wolf’s intentions. Through their
partial bond, he could sense smugness in the man, a feeling of joy
mixed with cockiness, and that worried him. Still buried beneath
that was the too familiar pain of their stilted connection.

Like a coward, he pushed those emotions
aside. Their life was fine just the way it was. There was no reason
to upset the status quo with dreams of a different future. His wolf
snarled inside him, pacing and clawing at him as it always did,
telling him without words how wrong his thoughts were.

What did the beast know?

Brushing aside his irritation, he navigated
to the Ruling Alpha Mate’s table. Scarlet was an animated woman,
full of energy and sass. Something the Ruling Alphas seemed to
appreciate. He’d already heard rumblings about amending laws
regarding the Marked women and how they were treated. Some of the
Alpha Pairs he’d encountered were less than thrilled with Scarlet,
but Jack admitted that he respected the woman. She’d walked into an
unknown situation, hitched herself to the most dominant wolves in
North America, and was already making changes.

She was definitely a worthy mate to the
Ruling Alphas.

The distance between Jack and the sisters
lessened with his every step. All three of them were talking at the
same time, arms and hands waving, their happiness and joy evident
on their faces.

He shook his head, grin teasing his lips.
Yeah, the Ruling Alphas, and the future mates of the other two
sisters, would undoubtedly have eventful lives with the Wickham
women.

In reality, the jury was still out on whether
or not Whitney would end up with an Alpha Pair. She was human and
had been summoned to the Gathering like all other Marked, but she
didn’t actually
have
a Mark. He knew this from overhearing
some of the sisters’ ranting, and apparently the Wardens were on
the women’s menu. Those two wolves were responsible for summoning
Marked to the Gathering, and Scarlet was ready to skin them alive
for forcing her sister to attend. Yeah, he didn’t envy those men.
Good thing the pair had been delayed. Maybe the trio would calm a
little before the Wardens arrived.

The guards surrounding the Alpha Mate’s table
all had smiles on their faces, vigilant yet enjoying their duty.
Okay, maybe watching these three wouldn’t be so bad.

Jack changed his path and headed toward
Hawkins, the man standing to the left and in front of the shared
table, just behind Gabriella Wickham. At least he’d be in a good
position to protect her.

A wave of scent assaulted him, forcing his
steps to stutter, and he wobbled to catch himself. Pure sin and
sweetness filled his nose, the flavors so seductive they went
straight to his cock. Heaven, pure and simple.

He tipped his head back, inhaling deep and
hunting for more of that alluring aroma. It was…there! He caught it
and ventured forward, attention split between his original
destination and that—cinnamon?—goodness. Yes, cinnamon and sugar
with a hint of apples. God, apple pie. Mixed in were the
unmistakable hints of pure woman. Those scents twining together
called to Jack’s wolf like nothing ever before. The beast surged
forward, determination in its every shift of muscle. The powerful
animal raced beneath his skin, sending pinpricks of pain along his
arms. His fur lurked near, shoving at his control.

But still he hunted. The source wouldn’t
evade him. No way. Not when he knew that she was his, his mate, his
one.

With this realization, Jack relaxed and
released some of the pain he’d been harboring. He’d found his mate
independent of Berke. They
weren’t
meant to be an Alpha Pair
after all. Just as he’d believed for years, they had never been
destined to form an Alpha bond and then find their Marked. No,
because he’d discovered his other half, not other third. He
wouldn’t have to suffer like his father, wouldn’t have to harm
innocents or…

The familiar woodsy scent of a wolf wasn’t
present in the fragrance he chased, but it didn’t mean anything.
She could simply be a human-wolf mix. Single wolves could mate with
a mixed, right? He wasn’t sure. Damn it, where were the Wardens
when he needed them? They harbored the werewolves’ knowledge and
magic and could answer his question without thought.

Jack stumbled and bumped into a chair,
tripping over the occupant, yet he managed to catch himself on the
table before he sent them both tumbling to the ground. Oh, it was
much stronger now. It was his mate trapped beneath him, her body so
near his.

The flavors of cinnamon, apples, and woman
intensified, threatening to overwhelm him and tear down his last
remnants of control. He was touching her, their skin only separated
by their clothing, and he ached to strip them bare so he could
claim her. The woman had to be a wolf—single wolves could only mate
with other wolves—and she would understand and relish in his public
claiming.

Yes, he’d tear off her clothes and—

“Lieutenant?”

He knew that voice. He should listen to it.
He should… But his female was half beneath him, his body sheltering
her as he loomed above her.

“Lieutenant, quit your growling and let my
sister go. Bad wolf.” There was power behind the woman’s words, but
his wolf tossed them aside.

“Mine.” He pushed the word past his lips,
forcing a human syllable from his mouth. The wolf still fought
him.

“No. Bad puppy.” The voice was sharp.

“What are you gonna say next? ‘Sit?’ Really?”
Those sarcastic, lyrical words were followed by a snort, and then
the woman under him shifted and pushed at his chest, nudging him
away.

Unacceptable.

Jack growled and stiffened, not allowing his
mate to brush him aside. He had to make a stand now before she
gathered the mistaken impression that he was a pushover. He let his
small displeasure roll through his chest, travelling from his limbs
and into the woman. Damn, his mate was small, much smaller than
him, and his body easily covered hers.

“Lieutenant.” The word was snapped, power
flowing over him with every syllable and he recognized the source,
the flavors of the dominance. It tasted like the Ruling Alphas,
softer yet no less powerful than the wolves themselves.

Fuck.

Jack’s wolf demanded that he ignore the Alpha
Mate, take what belonged to them and squire her back to their den.
But his life would be forfeit if he denied Scarlet’s command.

Taking a deep breath, he begged his beast to
recede and give him some measure of control. Once they were done
with the Alpha Mate, they could run with their female.

He pushed back from the table and
straightened, forcing his gaze toward Scarlet. It took no time to
find the woman as she was seated directly across from him, a small
smile playing on her lips. None of the anger he’d sensed before
showed in her features. No, she was decidedly amused.

A glance around him revealed why.

Six guards surrounded Jack, all of them his
friends and subordinates. Not an uncommon occurrence. Except
normally they weren’t aiming their guns at him. He let his gaze
slide over pistol after pistol, the muzzle of each one pointed at
his head. Twelve in all were trained on him.

Raising his hands, he fought for calm, urging
his wolf to retreat while he figured out how to keep them alive
long enough to claim their mate. Slowly he returned his attention
to Scarlet. “Alpha Mate?”

The woman smirked. Her attention drifted to
the woman before him and then back to his face. “Lieutenant, I
don’t believe you’ve met my sister, Gabby.”

Scarlet’s sister.

Her sister Gabriella.

Gabriella who was Marked, and the woman he
was to escort back to the grand ballroom for further Tests of
Proximity.

“Fuck.”

Running. Running would be good right about
now.

Because he wasn’t an Alpha.