shifters were so much more civilized. They followed their animalistic impulses behind closed doors at places like The Wolf’s Den. Roxi would never have to be exposed to his pack’s behavior.
Doug swore, loudly and creatively. “No. That’s unacceptable. You’ve already been gone too long. You have to come home. Now.”
Indecision tore through Donovan. He yearned to go home. Until a few days ago, returning to Thompson Falls was all he wanted. But things had changed. Roxi had thrown his world upside down and now he craved her with every cell in his body. “I can’t.”
“Bring the human, if you must. We need you. The pack…” Doug sighed. It was clear he wanted to say more, but held back. “Just come home.”
Loyalties warred within him, so strong that even his wolf raised its head. Things were off at home. He could hear the exhaustion in his father’s voice and it worried him. But being with Roxi was paramount now that he’d marked her. And her safety came first.
“I’m sorry.” Donovan set his jaw. “I just needed you to know what’s happened.”
The silence stretched on until Donovan thought his father might have hung up. But then Doug said, “I’m glad you called,” and the tension drained from Donovan’s shoulders.
“Does your human know what you are?” Doug asked.
“She knows. She just doesn’t understand.”
“Then you’ve got to explain it to her.”
Sunlight burst through a dark cloud above Donovan’s head, making him squint as he stared at the bright snow blanketing the ground. His pulse quickened, and he gave voice to the uncertainty rolling through him. “What if she doesn’t accept me?”
“You’ve marked her?”
He remembered the way his teeth felt sinking into her flesh. The taste of her still hovered on his lips, as heady as the moment he’d bitten her. “I have.”
“Then she’s yours. She might struggle with what you are, but she won’t turn away.”
Donovan gripped the phone tighter, realizing this was the reason he’d called. He’d wanted reassurance from his father. Reassurance, if not outright acceptance. “Thank you,” he murmured as he rose from the bench.
His soul felt lighter than it had in years. His beast was joyful inside him. He still had to find a way to make things right with his pack, but that would come. He needed to take things one at a time, and the first order of business was seeing his mate.
Doug grunted. “Your brothers will want to know you called. They’ll ask about your mate. What should I tell them?”
Donovan drew in a deep breath. A smile broke out on his face and he quickened his steps. “Tell them her name is Roxi.”
Chapter Seven
Brad wasn’t moving.
Raw terror filled Roxi’s veins. Tears stung her eyes. She jerked in the harness but the bonds were too tight. She was utterly helpless, strung up like a side of beef and fully at Kastor’s cruel mercy.
Kastor stood at her side. He’d been watching her for the past few minutes, his icy gaze raking her body like groping fingers. She shuddered under the scrutiny and clenched her jaw to keep from saying something that might enrage him further.
As it was, he looked absolutely furious. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as he gawked at her. She didn’t want to imagine what he concocted in that evil head of his. So she kept glancing at Brad, hoping he’d stir. He didn’t. She had no way of knowing whether he was unconscious, or worse.
“He needs a doctor,” Roxi blurted out. “Help him!”
Kastor didn’t even glance in Brad’s direction, but he lifted a hand toward Roxi’s chest. She braced herself for the inevitable tweak of the nipple. Every man went for her nipples first. She guessed it had something to do with the little buds being tight in the cold gallery, but it could have just been due to some hardwired male impulse to play with them.
When the sharp, open-palmed smack landed on the side of Roxi’s breast, she didn’t even try to stifle
Doug swore, loudly and creatively. “No. That’s unacceptable. You’ve already been gone too long. You have to come home. Now.”
Indecision tore through Donovan. He yearned to go home. Until a few days ago, returning to Thompson Falls was all he wanted. But things had changed. Roxi had thrown his world upside down and now he craved her with every cell in his body. “I can’t.”
“Bring the human, if you must. We need you. The pack…” Doug sighed. It was clear he wanted to say more, but held back. “Just come home.”
Loyalties warred within him, so strong that even his wolf raised its head. Things were off at home. He could hear the exhaustion in his father’s voice and it worried him. But being with Roxi was paramount now that he’d marked her. And her safety came first.
“I’m sorry.” Donovan set his jaw. “I just needed you to know what’s happened.”
The silence stretched on until Donovan thought his father might have hung up. But then Doug said, “I’m glad you called,” and the tension drained from Donovan’s shoulders.
“Does your human know what you are?” Doug asked.
“She knows. She just doesn’t understand.”
“Then you’ve got to explain it to her.”
Sunlight burst through a dark cloud above Donovan’s head, making him squint as he stared at the bright snow blanketing the ground. His pulse quickened, and he gave voice to the uncertainty rolling through him. “What if she doesn’t accept me?”
“You’ve marked her?”
He remembered the way his teeth felt sinking into her flesh. The taste of her still hovered on his lips, as heady as the moment he’d bitten her. “I have.”
“Then she’s yours. She might struggle with what you are, but she won’t turn away.”
Donovan gripped the phone tighter, realizing this was the reason he’d called. He’d wanted reassurance from his father. Reassurance, if not outright acceptance. “Thank you,” he murmured as he rose from the bench.
His soul felt lighter than it had in years. His beast was joyful inside him. He still had to find a way to make things right with his pack, but that would come. He needed to take things one at a time, and the first order of business was seeing his mate.
Doug grunted. “Your brothers will want to know you called. They’ll ask about your mate. What should I tell them?”
Donovan drew in a deep breath. A smile broke out on his face and he quickened his steps. “Tell them her name is Roxi.”
Chapter Seven
Brad wasn’t moving.
Raw terror filled Roxi’s veins. Tears stung her eyes. She jerked in the harness but the bonds were too tight. She was utterly helpless, strung up like a side of beef and fully at Kastor’s cruel mercy.
Kastor stood at her side. He’d been watching her for the past few minutes, his icy gaze raking her body like groping fingers. She shuddered under the scrutiny and clenched her jaw to keep from saying something that might enrage him further.
As it was, he looked absolutely furious. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as he gawked at her. She didn’t want to imagine what he concocted in that evil head of his. So she kept glancing at Brad, hoping he’d stir. He didn’t. She had no way of knowing whether he was unconscious, or worse.
“He needs a doctor,” Roxi blurted out. “Help him!”
Kastor didn’t even glance in Brad’s direction, but he lifted a hand toward Roxi’s chest. She braced herself for the inevitable tweak of the nipple. Every man went for her nipples first. She guessed it had something to do with the little buds being tight in the cold gallery, but it could have just been due to some hardwired male impulse to play with them.
When the sharp, open-palmed smack landed on the side of Roxi’s breast, she didn’t even try to stifle
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