Marked By The Wolf, page 12
“No, we can’t risk breaking it. You really should donate it to a museum.”
“It’s not mine to give away.” He would ask Finn, who actually owned the cottage, along with the rest of the estate, to donate it, though. “And anyway, how would Neil keep witches away without it?”
“Does he tend to attract witches?”
“Aye, you should meet some of the women who’ve passed through his bed.”
He gave an exaggerated grunt of pain as Lisa balled up her fist and punched his arm.
“You can’t call women witches.”
“Oh.” He put his arms around her and pulled her close. “What can I call women then?”
“Nothing,” Lisa murmured as she softened against them. “From this moment on, you’re not to talk about women at all.”
Ross wondered if she realized how strong the hint of possessiveness in her tone was. The thought that she might be jealous of other women was a real turn-on. Tightening his grip on her, he bent his head and kissed her luscious red lips. They were soft, warm. He groaned as he tasted her incredible sweetness. Her arms wound around her neck and she gently tugged a strand of his hair.
The urge to deepen the kiss was almost overwhelming, but Ross managed to pull back.
“If we carry on like this, I’ll end up fucking you right here.”
Lisa gave him a grin suggesting she wouldn’t mind. Ross took a deep breath and stepped away. He had no intention of getting sidetracked from his mission to spend time together without giving in to their desires. He wanted to give her a tour of the estate, to find out a bit more about her.
“Come on,” he said. “We’ll raid Neil’s fridge and then head out.”
“Won’t he mind you taking his food?”
“He eats us out of house and home whenever he’s at the lodge. I’m sure he can sacrifice a few scraps so we can have a picnic by the river.”
“Isn’t it a bit cold for a picnic?”
“We can eat it in the car,” Ross said. “Don’t throw obstacles in the way of my romantic gesture.”
“Romantic gesture? I didn’t think you were the type.”
“You’d be surprised.”
Lisa didn’t say anything, but she smiled broadly, and Ross knew he was already showing her a side of him she hadn’t expected. He climbed down the ladder and hovered at the foot in case Lisa needed help. As she made it down to the last rung, a flash of light from somewhere outside caught his eye. He strode to the window and scanned the surrounding countryside. Again, he saw something glinting in the sun. It seemed to be coming from the direction of the castle. It could be binoculars or, more worryingly, a rifle scope. His heartrate picked up at the very thought of it. He stepped away from the window as Lisa came up behind him.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” He turned to her, all traces of concern wiped from his face. “Let’s go.”
He followed her to the door and paused to look back to the window. Although it might indeed be nothing, his instincts told him someone was out there watching. He didn’t know who it was or what they wanted but he was sure it couldn’t be good.
Chapter Thirteen
Considering the vast size of Glenlogie Estate, Ross knew it was unlikely he would find any evidence of someone watching him and Lisa. While there were a number of security measures in place in a wide perimeter around the main house, less surveillance equipment had been installed elsewhere. Sensors had been put on all the main routes onto the estate to detect incoming vehicles, but there was just too much land to cover.
Sitting in his office, he scanned the security footage from this morning on his laptop. Before long, he saw a car he didn’t recognize coming in along the southern road. It appeared to have only one occupant and Ross couldn’t make out whether it was a man or a woman.
While part of him still hoped it was just a sightseer wanting to view the castle, he was more inclined to believe they’d come onto the estate for a more sinister purpose. Although an ancient law gave the public access to the castle, less than a dozen people had actually visited in the past year. November wasn’t exactly peak tourist season in the chilly Highlands, so that made it even less likely it was a random visitor.
Frustrated he hadn’t found what he was looking for, Ross shut down his laptop just as Neil knocked and came into the room.
“You’re back,” Ross stated simply.
“Aye, we couldn’t find her, I’m afraid. The lassie’s vanished. She’s not been into work since Saturday night and her roommate says she hasn’t seen her for three or four days.”
“Nobody reported her missing?”
Neil shrugged. “Seems she’s not exactly reliable.”
“Okay, I’ll get someone else onto it.” Ross knew Neil and Duncan would have done their best to find Lisa’s sister, but they weren’t experts at tracking down missing persons. “You’re needed here. I was over at your place today.”
“Aye, I noticed the fridge was bare. Anna not feeding you enough?”
“I was showing Lisa the house and I needed a few things for a picnic.” Ross saw the smirk on his cousin’s face and spoke quickly before Neil could get out whatever facetious remark he’d thought up. “I think someone was watching us.”
“Shit.” Neil’s expression became more serious. “Any idea who?”
“No, but according to Lisa, there’s at least one member of the Knights of St. Francis out there.”
“Fuck! Does Finn know?”
Ross shook his head.
“You’re not planning to tell him.” Neil was perceptive as always.
“He’s only just got his mate back,” Ross said. “He needs to focus on her.”
Neil nodded his agreement. “Well, let me and Duncan know what we can do.”
Ross came around to the other side of his desk and pulled Neil into a hug that demonstrated appreciation for his support. They embraced for a moment and then moved apart. Although a close-knit family, they weren’t generally comfortable with displays of affection.
“I’d better go get ready for this big family get-together,” Neil said. “No jeans allowed—Finn’s orders.”
Ross snorted in amusement. Their alpha did like a bit of formality once in a while.
“Guess I’ll need to change too.”
Leaving Neil in the hallway, Ross headed upstairs. After they’d picnicked by the river, he’d brought Lisa back to the house and they’d moved her things up to his bedroom. If she was going to make the transition from seeing herself as his captive to accepting her role as his mate, he’d thought it best to get her out of that basement room.
He opened the door to his bedroom and found Lisa standing in front of the mirror. The dress she wore was a deep red that brought a bit of color to her pale cheeks. A demure garment, it nipped in at the waist and flared out over her hips, landing just above her knee. He’d known her only a few days but already could see this was her preferred style. Her legs were bare, and she wasn’t wearing any shoes. Ross had offered to borrow a pair from Anna or Maddie for her since Sadie’s had proved to be uncomfortably small, but neither woman wore the right size.
Ross crossed over to his walk-in closet and fished a couple of items out of a drawer. One was likely to delight Lisa; the other, not so much.
“You look beautiful.” Ross came up behind her and rested his head on her shoulder. Lisa’s reflection in the mirror smiled back at him. “I have something for you.”
He stood back and draped a thin silver chain around her neck. A diamond teardrop pendant hung from it. He fastened the clasp and Lisa turned to him with a sexy little smile.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“It was my mother’s. She had some pretty ostentatious jewelry, but I thought this one suited you better.” He held up the other item he’d retrieved for Lisa. “I also want you to wear this.”
Her face darkened with displeasure. “Was that your mother’s as well?” she bit out.
“A beaded butt plug? I doubt that was her style.”
Lisa narrowed her eyes at him. He could almost feel her irritation. “You expect me to wear that to dinner with your family?”
“Consider it part one of the punishment you have coming to you.”
Shock flashed across her face, but Ross doubted she’d forgotten she had yet to atone for this morning’s bad behavior.
“What’s part two?” she asked.
“You’ll receive a sound thrashing. Your behavior tonight will determine which implement I use.”
Ross would have thought that was straightforward enough, but Lisa looked confused.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if you’re a good girl, I might just use my hand. If you’re a complete brat, expect to be introduced to the bite of a cane. Now, let’s get this plug in, shall we?”
Not for the first time, Lisa seemed to be at war with herself as she considered what he’d said. He knew he had her cooperation when she gave a slight nod and averted her gaze.
“Bend over the chair,” Ross instructed. “Legs spread and ass pushed out.”
While Lisa got into position, he fetched some lube from the drawer in his nightstand. If he’d had a bit more time, he would have got her nice and wet and used her own feminine fluid to ease the insertion of the plug, but Finn insisted on punctuality and he had yet to get himself dressed. He smeared a generous amount of the cool lubricant over the plug and stood behind Lisa, who’d preempted his instructions by pulling her dress up around her waist.
“Good girl,” he murmured. “Now try to relax.”
He pushed the plug against the puckered hole in her bottom and the first bead slipped in easily enough. The second, larger bead was met with more resistance. She might not be an anal virgin, but she wasn’t exactly experienced either. She moaned, her muscles clenching as her body tried to reject the plug. Ross gently rubbed the small of her back, helping her to calm herself, and pushed more firmly on the plug.
“Open for me.”
Something about the commanding tone he used seemed to work. Exhaling steadily, Lisa pressed back against him and the plug slid into place. The base nestled between her perfect little butt cheeks, the light from overhead glinting on the shiny metal. Knowing it was there all night was going to test Ross’s self-control to the limits.
He helped Lisa to her feet and pointed at the chair she’d just been leaning over.
“Sit there and wait for me.”
She grimaced as she sat, and he watched her wriggling around for a moment until she found a position that was obviously more comfortable. Ross sighed and went to pick out some clothing for himself. This was going to be a very long night.
* * *
Even without the plug Ross had shoved up her butt teasing her insides every time she moved, Lisa would have been uncomfortable. Sandwiched between Ross and Jamie at the dinner table, she’d never felt so out of place. Although she’d got a taste of what the MacDonalds were like en masse at breakfast the other morning, nothing could have prepared her for what they’d be like in celebratory mode. The men were loud and boisterous. The levels of testosterone in the room should have been illegal. It seemed the cousins enjoyed nothing more than to try to outdo each other with tales of conquest, whether in a fight or in the bedroom. It was like dining with a horde of Armani-clad Vikings.
Anna was clearly used to their friendly rivalry and risqué banter since she’d known the men her entire life. Nothing they said seemed to faze her. Maddie was also pretty relaxed, having apparently slotted into the family with remarkable ease. As the alpha’s mate, she basked in the glow of everyone’s adoration. Finn had made a speech about how glad he was to have found her and everyone enthusiastically expressed their joy that she was home.
Lisa felt like a complete outsider. She’d never been part of a group like this, had no idea how to fit in. She’d grown up with her serious, studious mother. Conversation had revolved around politics, social issues, and the bitter disappointment her grandfather had become. The father she shared with Catie had been less rigid in manner, but she hardly ever saw him.
With the threat of punishment hanging over her as well, Lisa was terrified of putting a foot wrong. As the evening wore on, she became more and more tense.
“Breathe,” Ross whispered in her ear. “None of them will bite.”
She offered him a weak smile, knowing if he wasn’t by her side, at least one of his cousins would happily tear her apart. Finn hadn’t spoken a word to her all night and Jamie couldn’t have made his hostility toward her any clearer. As she looked away from Ross, she accidentally locked eyes with Finn. She knew she should avert her gaze, but his intimidating glare had her trapped.
“So, Dr. Hunter,” Finn said, “did you enjoy your tour of the estate?”
The whole table fell silent. Everyone’s attention focused on her and Finn. She understood they were watching to see how he treated her. The rest of the pack would take their cue from the alpha.
“It was great,” she replied quietly, “and please, call me Lisa.”
“Only if you call me Alpha,” he returned.
Boy, he really didn’t like her. She couldn’t blame him, she supposed, after what had happened the other night. As far as he was concerned, even if she didn’t bring the Knights of St. Francis down on their heads, she was still the woman who’d tried to take his mate away. Lisa’s cheeks reddened as she felt the full force of his disapproval.
“She was quite taken with yer heilan’ coos.” Ross exaggerated his accent as he spoke, probably to ease the tension. Lisa’s cheeks heated. His gentle Highland lilt was sexy but when he went full-on Scots, it made her toes curl.
“Aye, they’re bonny beasts,” Neil said.
“Unless you upset them.” Lisa smiled, hoping he would tell her the story Ross had alluded to earlier.
Neil tossed a sour look in Ross’s direction, as though he’d divulged some great secret to the enemy, and turned away. Lisa looked down at the plate of food in front of her. She didn’t have much of an appetite tonight, even though the steak smelled incredible. As people around her started chatting to each other again, Maddie took pity on her.
“People are really missing you at work,” she said. “They don’t know what happened to you, but rumor has it you’ve run away with a man.”
Lisa scoffed. “I’ll bet they’re all having a real laugh about it.”
“Of course not,” Maddie assured her. “They respect you too much.”
“Do they?”
“Yes, they do. People admire your work and look to you for leadership. If you don’t go back soon, the history department will fall apart.”
A flush of pride crept through Lisa. She worked hard to ensure things ran smoothly but her efforts received little appreciation. She’d always imagined her colleagues thought her a pain in the ass since she demanded such high standards. A tear came to her eye as the thought crossed her mind that Ross might never allow her to go back to work, but she quickly blinked it away.
“I don’t suppose you know if the Burnett grant came through?” Lisa asked.
“It did.” Maddie grinned broadly at her and then turned her attention back to Finn.
“What’s the Burnett grant?” Ross asked.
“Just some money I applied for to fund a new project.” Lisa was casual about it, even though it was kind of a big deal in the academic world. “I didn’t think I’d get it. Their funding usually goes to the big universities.”
“But they chose you.”
Lisa wondered if she imagined hearing admiration in Ross’s voice.
“What’s the project?”
“Just something about faery hills.” Lisa doubted he really wanted to hear about her research.
“You don’t want to tell me about it?”
Ross leaned closer and Lisa unconsciously mirrored the movement, tilting her head toward his.
“I didn’t think you’d be interested.”
“Oh, I’m always going to be interested in what my beautiful, bright little professor has to say.”
Lisa inhaled sharply as his hand touched her knee and drifted lazily up toward her inner thigh.
“You really want to know about my work?”
Ross nodded as he moved his hand between her legs. Instinctively, Lisa opened her thighs to give him access to her naked pussy.
“I want to know everything about you,” Ross said as he parted her puffy lower lips.
“Maybe some other time.” Lisa bit back a moan as his finger glided along her sodden flesh. “When I’m less distracted.”
She spread her legs wider and Ross slipped first one and then two fingers inside her. With the plug in her back passage, she felt incredibly full. She bit her bottom lip as she struggled not to react to him playing with her beneath the dinner table. Ross struck up a conversation with Duncan as he continued to slowly fuck her with his fingers.
Lisa wriggled her hips as desire took hold of her entire body. Her nipples grew hard and rubbed uncomfortably against the fabric of her dress. The plug inside her pressed forward, sending a wave of sensation through her lower body. Pleasure and pain danced around each other as she struggled to maintain an outward calm. Ross’s thumb found her clitoris and circled the pulsating bud.
Her pussy grew wetter and her muscles clamped down on Ross’s fingers, triggering a jolt of ecstasy that went straight to her feminine core. Breathing deeply, she tried to hold off the coming climax. She didn’t want to come in front of all these unsuspecting people and yet she couldn’t bring herself to push Ross’s hand away.
Leaning back in her chair, she clenched her eyes shut. Ross curled his fingers inside her, finding her most sensitive spot. Immediately, the dam broke. A gush of fluids coated Ross’s hand and she jerked involuntarily. Her knee hit the table, knocking Jamie’s drink over. As though she’d been doused in cold water, Lisa sat up straighter, shoving Ross’s hand away.
“What the fuck?” Jamie yelled as red wine dripped from the table onto his pristine white shirt.
“I’m so sorry,” Lisa said quickly. “I had a cramp.”
