Gabriella - Alpha Marked, Book II (4 page)

“I’m good, Hello Sexy.” Dear God she did not
just say that. Snarls came from her mates. Okay, she did. “I’ll
take care of them. Why don’t you run and hide.” She kept her gaze
focused on the Captain and Lieutenant, noting the shift of muscle
and bone beneath their skin. “For a while. Years even.”

The guard eased from behind her and edged
toward a nearby hallway. All the while, her mates’ gazes remained
transfixed on him. The moment he stepped out of sight, the
hostility in the space eased, lowering from Kill Everything to Maim
Everyone.

The rapid, heavy thump of booted feet
colliding with the marble floors announced newcomers, and Garron
and Keller slid into the room directly behind the Captain and
Lieutenant. (How fucked was it that she
still
didn’t know
their names?)

Breathing heavy, Keller bent and propped his
hands on his thighs, fighting for air. “They…” He took a deep
breath. “They got away.”

Scarlet’s voice broke into the ensuing
silence. “Thank you Captain Obvious.” She huffed. “Now gather them
up and send them on their way again now that you’ve caught up with
them.”

“Scarlet…” Garron had just as much trouble
breathing as Keller. “There are things going on that you don’t
understand. There’s some history and magic here that are beyond
your compreh—”

“Comprehension?” Scarlet froze and turned
toward the Ruling Alphas, eyes blazing.

Gabby kinda wished she had some popcorn now.
This show was about to turn
awesome
. Even Whitney, normally
quiet and reserved Whitney, snickered and fought against a
grin.

“I wouldn’t understand?” Scarlet’s voice was
low and filled with soon-to-be explosive anger.

“Scarlet…” Keller kept his voice soothing and
low while glaring at Garron.

Best. Day. Ever. If Gabby’s life was going to
be filled with drama, it was only right that her sister was there
with her.

“Lemme ask you something: I’m the ruler of
the vagina, right? Queen of Vaginaville, home of the platinum
plated hoo-ha. So, how does it feel to have your passport revoked?”
Scarlet flashed the men a smile, exposing all of her teeth.

Even Gabby’s half-shifted mates chuckled at
that one, earning them a glare from the Ruling Alphas.

“You’ve got your own problems,” Garron
snapped.

“Go fix your issues while we deal with this.”
There was an unmistakable order in Keller’s words.

The men moved faster than a blink. One moment
the Captain and Lieutenant were on the other side of the room, and
the next they were next to Gabby. The Captain swung her into his
arms and the Lieutenant leaned toward her, rubbing his fur-coated
cheek against hers.

She hated that she responded, that her Mark
pulsed in recognition, and her body grew hot and heavy with desire.
She wanted them desperately; she just didn’t
want
to want
them. At all. Hated it even.

Glaring at the men in turn, she didn’t bother
struggling against the Captain’s hold, grudgingly allowing him to
carry her off to another section of the suite. As they moved
through the space and past her sisters, Scarlet’s voice continued
to rise.

“Deal with this?
Deal with this
? Oh,
there’s nothing to
deal
with. Wait, maybe there is. Why
don’t you
deal with
finding your fucking Wardens and figure
out what the hell is going on with Whitney, huh?” With that,
Scarlet stomped in the other direction, Whitney laughing and
trailing in her wake.

Which left Gabby. Alone. With her mates. At
least one of which didn’t want her.

*

Jack fought the beast with every step,
pushing and shoving at his wolf as they traveled down the hallway.
His every inhale brought with it more of his mate’s seductive
scent. It held those hints of cinnamon and apples and woman that he
recalled. Recalled. God damn, it seemed like an eternity between
finding Gabby and now.

So much had changed, yet nothing at all. He
still didn’t believe he should have a mate. Didn’t believe he was
capable of treating a woman as she deserved. And a mate deserved
much.

Yet…yet he couldn’t imagine letting her go.
Not when she was so close, cuddled in Berke’s arms like a babe. She
laid her head on his friend’s shoulder with a sigh and then those
chocolate eyes focused on him, delving into his soul. That sweet
contentment that’d been drifting across her features was wiped away
by anger, fear, hurt… He’d caused those emotions, been the source
of her heartache, and he slumped beneath her gaze. Already he’d
chipped away at whatever burgeoning connection they’d made.

Already he was like his father.

Already he’d hurt those he loved. Or, at
least, would come to love someday.

How long before he destroyed them all?

Berke’s progress slowed, easing as he stepped
into a room on the left. The moment he moved across the threshold,
Gabby’s scent grew, the room holding her flavors. Jack inhaled,
drawing the aroma into his lungs, and the wolf reacted, snapping
and snarling, urging him to mate with their luscious Gabriella.
Now.

A look at the woman in question, her
shuttered expression, showed that his desires wouldn’t be satisfied
any time soon.

With care, the Captain lowered their mate,
her body sliding along his front until her feet settled on the
floor without a sound. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and a
gentle blush stained her cheeks. Then the most delicious scent
drifted to him on the barely-there breeze from the air
conditioner.

Heavenly musk, hot and thick in the air,
hanging heavily as it coated him in the aroma of her essence. Sweet
Gabby was aroused, not unaffected by their presence and closeness.
His left bicep pulsed and throbbed in recognition while his cock
thickened within his uniform pants, filling what little room he
had. His prick ached to be free, and damn the consequences.

But he already cared for her, and his
emotions weren’t enough of an incentive to throw her life away,
throw Berke’s life away. They could mate, could love, but someday
it would all crumble apart into puddles of blood and gore.

Berke’s arms remained firm around Gabby’s
waist, holding her against his body, and Jack couldn’t get over how
petite the Marked was when cuddled against his friend. He couldn’t
seem to move past the way her wavy brown hair cascaded over Berke’s
forearms. Or how her abundant curves molded to the other man’s body
like a finely-tailored suit. She was meant for Berke. No question
about it.

Jack could feel Berke’s contentment through
the half-formed bond that existed between them. It flowed with
emotions and arousal. He craved Gabby like a drug, true, but there
were deeper, stronger emotions in play. Already the draw of a wolf
to a mate laid down the foundations of love.

Unfortunately, Jack felt the same. Fear
collided with his soul-deep need, flowing over and through him,
shredding the feelings that’d begun blooming. It pounded and
pummeled every ounce of caring that her presence had cultivated,
and the wolf howled in protest. His beast demanded he surrender to
Gabby, follow his instincts and mate the woman before she realized
that he wasn’t good enough to stand at her side.

Berke leaned down and nuzzled Gabby, burying
his now human face in her hair and breathing deep. Those drowsy
brown eyes met Berke’s for the barest moment, her arousal easily
apparent, and then fluttered closed. She moaned and tipped her head
back, opening herself to his friend’s touch with abandon.

Jack flexed his hands, fighting his wolf with
every ounce of his energy, refusing to allow his instincts to lead
him on the path to hell. Closing his eyes, he pleaded with the
wolf, begging him to recede so that he could stop what was to come.
Words were spoken easier through a human mouth rather than a wolfen
maw.

Seconds ticked by and his fur slipped back
through his pores, the beast allowing him to appear human once
again. His face shifted, bones and muscles changing until no hint
of his wolf remained in his features.

Unfortunately, his freedom from the beast’s
control was only on the surface. He took an involuntary step
forward, and then another, each shift of muscle pushing him closer
to his destined mate. He didn’t want this, want her. Not really.
She was too beautiful, too innocent to know what mating to him
would mean.

Heartache. Pain. Death.

But maybe he could be different than his
father… No.

Yet he still moved, boots silent on the
thickly carpeted floor. One pace and then another. Another,
another, another… Until he stood beside the entwined couple.

Unable to resist the temptation, he slid a
single finger along Gabby’s cheek. He cataloged the softness of her
skin, the increased flush, and the way her breath hitched with his
touch.

Low murmurs filled the room, the deep tone of
Berke’s voice unmistakable, but Jack couldn’t force himself to pay
attention to his friend’s words. He could feel the heat of Gabby’s
body. The heady scent of her need wrapped around him with ethereal,
welcoming arms. Her aroma was like a physical thing, caressing him
with invisible strokes and sliding beneath his clothing to pet his
skin.

He wanted. God damn, he wanted.

A soft gasp was her only response to his
touch and nearness, her eyes fluttering open until their gazes
clashed. He watched the expressions that flitted across her
features, anger and fury warring with arousal and need. Other
emotions clouded her gaze: distrust, attraction, wariness, and then
a hint of tenderness and affection that he didn’t want to accept.
Because he found himself feeling the same.

Jack let his finger slide over her lower lip,
noting the difference in texture and softness with his tiny caress.
Gabby opened her mouth, and her small, pink tongue darted out to
lap as his digit. The warm touch went straight to his dick, forcing
him to harden further while his beast howled in triumph. It was
cocky and proud, rejoicing in the fact that his human half hadn’t
destroyed their chance at mating with the luscious creature that
called to them.

She did call to him, the siren’s song
beckoning him closer, inviting him into her seductive world.

The question became: could he ever love her
enough not to kill her?

*

Gabby should stop, push the Captain away and
punch the Lieutenant in the junk. Yeah, that sounded good. And
she’d do that. Just as soon as the Captain stopped laving her neck
with his talented tongue, or ceased murmuring a combination of
endearments and pleas between whisper-soft kisses.

The gentle words had begun the moment he’d
carried her into the room. His low voice delved into her and
wrapped around her heart as if he’d belonged there from the
beginning of time.

Then again, he had. Both of them were meant
to fit and fill her body…someday her heart.

Unable to resist, she lapped at the
Lieutenant’s finger, allowing his innate flavors to flow over her
tongue. Warmth suffused her, sweetness and man filling her mouth
with that simple lick. The Captain’s words filled her ears while
the other wolf’s presence crept into her heart.

“
Give him a chance, sweetheart…”

“
We both want to love you…”

“
He’s broken, but you can heal
him…”

“
Don’t give up on us before we can prove
ourselves to you, love…”

“
We’ll cherish you…”

“
You belong to us… Forever…”

“
Our gorgeous, sexy mate…”

Okay, the gorgeous and sexy got to her. Like,
really. Her body heated and pussy moistened, not just because of
his words, but his nearness and touch as well. Anger was pushed
away to make room for arousal. She had no doubt that her rage would
rekindle and rush forward the minute their seduction ended, but for
now she’d embrace the two men meant for her.

The amber wolf pulled his finger free of her
mouth, and she noticed his breathing, the rapid rise and fall of
his chest. His eyes glowed yellow in the room’s subdued lighting,
telling her how close his wolf lurked. He’d shifted like the
Captain, assuming his fully human skin once again, revealing his
handsome features. She hadn’t gotten a good look at the man when
he’d first embraced her in the restaurant and then rejected her in
the hallway.

Dark red wavy hair framed his face, strands
falling across his eyes. The soft threads partially obstructed her
view. As she stared at him, those eyes faded from yellow to their
natural hazel hue, flecks of green dancing amongst the hints of
brown. Like all male wolves he was tall, much taller than her five
feet four inches, and muscular with broad shoulders and thick arms.
She had no doubt that not an ounce of fat decorated his strong
body, a stark contrast to her abundant curves.

She glanced down his body and noted the large
bulge at the juncture of his thighs. It appeared the Lieutenant
didn’t mind her plump body, large breasts, wide hips, and full
ass.

She whined when he brought the slick digit to
his mouth and slid it between his lips. Heat flared in his gaze,
and he leaned closer to her. He released himself with a soft,
lingering kiss to the tip of his finger. “Delicious.”

“Yes, she is.” The rumbled words against her
neck reminded her of the Captain’s presence, his solid body pressed
against her.

The thick length of his hard cock branded her
hip, showing her how much he desired her. Did he want her—Gabby—or
was he only hard because she was his mate? The same question could
be posed to Jack. The amber haired wolf had denied her, but here he
stood, hard and seemingly ready to claim her forever.

Her neck was treated to another long
lingering kiss followed by a light nibble, a barely-there scrape of
the Captain’s fangs. Her pussy clenched in response, panties
growing damper by the second, and her nipples hardened within her
silk bra. The heat, the need, was just as Scarlet had described.
Her body called out for both men, the morning’s events be
damned.