Marked By The Wolf, page 2
“What?”
“The men you came here with last night.”
Lisa looked at him blankly. She’d come here alone. She’d heard some commotion toward the back of the house when she arrived, but it was nothing to do with her.
“I didn’t come here with anyone.”
“No?” The expression on Ross’s face told her he didn’t believe her. “So it won’t upset you to hear we killed them all?”
Lisa gasped. She didn’t know who the men were, but the casual way Ross spoke about killing them shocked her.
“I came here alone,” she said quietly.
“Not sure I believe you, sweetheart.”
This was bad. She had no idea how to convince Ross she was telling the truth. The fear inside her was making it hard to think straight. Was she going to meet the same fate as these men?
“What about me?” She tried to keep the quiver from her voice. “What’s going to happen now?”
“Depends on how good you can be.”
“How good I can be?” she parroted.
“Aye, if you please me, you’ll be rewarded.”
“And if I don’t?”
The smile that formed on his lips was unsettling. “Then I’ll have to punish you.”
She didn’t want to ask what punishment might entail, but now she knew he could do a lot worse than leaving her locked in a cell. “How exactly would I be able to please you?” she asked.
Ross leaned back in his chair and the bulge in his pants became apparent. Clearly toying with his stripped-bare captive was turning him on. Lisa almost laughed. Some men were so basic. Was that really all it would take to get on his good side? Steeling herself for what she was about to do, she eased herself off the bed and onto her knees on the floor between his feet.
Reaching forward, she unbuckled his belt and lowered the zipper of his pants. He raised his hips to help her as she freed him from his clothing. She took a moment to study his rock-hard erection. His cock was as impressive as the rest of him. Long and thick with a throbbing blue vein running along its length and a purple head, it seemed to radiate aggression. Lisa licked her lips. If she could tame this beast, she might just win her freedom.
She put her hands on his muscular thighs, leaned forward and took an inch of him into her mouth. He tasted fresh, soapy, as though he’d showered before coming down here. Beneath the citrus scent on his skin she detected something altogether more primal that made her shudder with dread and a hint of excitement. She took more of him into her mouth and ran her tongue along the underside of his shaft.
As she lapped at his turgid flesh, she felt her own arousal begin to build. She sucked enthusiastically and stroked a hand along his leg. A frown formed on her face as she realized he wasn’t responding to her ministrations. Where were the moans of pleasure? Risking a glance upward, she found bemusement on Ross’s face and she knew she was doing this all wrong.
She was about to renew her efforts when he suddenly got to his feet. His cock popped out of her mouth, leaving her with a surprised look on her face. Before she could utter the words of regret that swirled in her mind, he put a hand under her chin and drew her up until she was kneeling at the right height.
“Open,” he instructed.
Lisa immediately did as she was told. Ross slid his cock over her lips, pushing farther into her mouth than she’d taken any man before. Her cheeks puffed out and she had to breathe in through her nose. Her eyes widened as she fought to hold back a rising panic.
“Relax.” Ross’s tone was reassuring. “I’ll not hurt you.”
As he began to move, sliding his shaft toward the back of her throat, Lisa tried to work out what she should do. Was she supposed to suck? Lick him? Where should she put her hands?
“Stop thinking.” Ross had clearly picked up on her anxiety.
He sounded irritated but it wasn’t going to be easy for Lisa to obey. Every time she’d been with a man, she’d worried about whether she was doing things properly. She’d read every book on sex she could get her hands on over the years. She could probably pass any theory test but when it came to the practical, she seemed to flunk every time. Trying to tune out her inner critic, she concentrated on the moment. Breathing in through her nose, she inhaled Ross’s masculine scent and that somehow put her at ease. He was the strong, dominant type, a man used to being in control. She could sit back and let him take his pleasure.
As Ross’s movements sped up, she squeezed her lips around him, and he groaned. Her own heartbeat increased, and a pulse beat between her legs. Was it possible to be turned on by this? She put her hands on the back of his thighs and pulled him even closer. Loosening her jaw, she took him deep and he moaned in appreciation. Finally, she was doing something right.
She dug her nails into his flesh and his control slipped. He jerked his hips and then stilled, emptying his seed into her mouth. The taste wasn’t unpleasant, but Lisa couldn’t claim to like it either, so she swallowed quickly. As Ross withdrew from her mouth and stepped back to sort his clothing, she looked up at him hopefully.
“Can I go now?” she asked.
“On the strength of one mediocre blowjob? You’ve got a nerve.” Ross headed for the door and then turned back to her. “Make yourself comfortable. You’re here for the long haul.”
As he locked the door behind him, Lisa bit back a curse. That couldn’t have gone any worse. Ross had completely humiliated her. No, that wasn’t entirely true; she’d been an active participant in embarrassing herself. She clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to work some of the tension out of her body. If she wanted to improve her situation here, she had to figure out how to make Ross happy, and fast. Her jaw tightened as she clambered up onto the bed. Breathing deeply to soothe her anger, she curled into a ball and tried to get some rest.
Chapter Two
Ross was more than a bit confused when he walked upstairs from the basement. Last night when he pulled Lisa Hunter out of her car and flung her over his shoulder, he would have sworn he felt a connection with the woman. The moment he touched her, it was like being struck by lightning. A primal lust had surged through his veins. He’d been ready to claim her on the spot, so strong was the desire to possess her. At that moment, he’d known she was his. The fates had decreed they should be together. He would have thought their first sexual encounter would be incredibly hot but what happened in that room just now had been lackluster to say the least. When her soft lips had wrapped around his cock, he’d expected fireworks or something. What he got was disappointment. There’d been no heat, no spark between them.
Perhaps he was being too quick to assume the worst. Lisa had no doubt been frightened. It was clear she was also inexperienced and that was easily remedied. With time, she could be taught to please him. If he decided to keep her, that was. He needed to be sure he could trust her first.
Shelving that thought for now, he headed for his office. He found his cousin, Finn, sitting at his desk. Considering they’d dealt decisively with the men who’d attacked their territory last night and prevented his mate from leaving with Lisa, Finn didn’t look happy. In fact, the pack’s alpha male looked downright miserable.
“What’s wrong?” Ross asked as he took a seat across the desk from Finn.
“I’ve decided to let her go,” he said and then, as though clarification was required, added, “Maddie.”
“What?”
After all Finn had gone through to bring his mate here and keep her safe, Ross couldn’t believe he would give her up now.
“I’m letting her go.”
“Aye, I got that, but why?”
Usually Ross knew better than to question the head of the family on his decisions, but this seemed like a mistake. Ross might respect pack hierarchy, but he wasn’t about to let his alpha do something so drastic without at least trying to understand what he was thinking.
“She knows the truth about me now,” Finn explained, “and she made it clear she isn’t interested in being with me.”
Ross scrubbed a hand over his face. He didn’t want to criticize, but he’d thought from the start Finn was handling Maddie all wrong. Reluctant to tell her he was part wolf in case she ran for the hills, Finn had instead tried to get her to bond with him. As Maddie was an expert in ancient manuscripts, he’d left her to unravel the truth about their family from a medieval text he’d asked her to examine. He’d thought it would be easier to accept him if she found out about his heritage bit by bit. The plan had been doomed to failure but pointing that out wasn’t going to help anything.
“So you’re just sending her away?”
“Aye. I want you to take her home and make sure her house is secure. We eliminated a major threat last night but until we know there’s not more of them lurking out there, I want her kept safe.”
“I’ve got a guy who can handle it,” Ross said.
“An outsider?”
“Aye. We can’t spare Neil or Duncan and Jamie’s got Anna to worry about.”
Ross furrowed his brow as he studied Finn’s expression. His cousin didn’t seem happy with the idea of bringing someone from outside the family into this.
“I’ve used him before,” Ross assured him. “He’s reliable. She won’t know he’s there and he’ll make sure nobody gets near her.”
“Okay, then. So what about this Lisa Hunter? Have you questioned her yet?”
“We’ve had a conversation.”
“Did you get anything out of her?”
“I don’t know that there is anything to get out of her,” Ross replied. “I think she’s an innocent in all this.”
A look of skepticism passed across Finn’s face. “You said last night you felt something for her. You’re not letting that cloud your judgement, are you?”
Ross almost rolled his eyes. He wished he hadn’t said a word to his cousin about the feeling he got when he’d touched Lisa for the first time. He’d just been overwhelmed by the force of the pull toward her and had needed to get it off his chest.
“Of course not. It’s family first.” He looked Finn square in the eye. “If there’s anything we need to know, I’ll get it out of her one way or the other.”
Finn nodded, then turned his attention to the laptop screen in front of him in a clear dismissal. Ross got to his feet and moved toward the door but paused when Finn spoke again. “Any word on my sister?”
“Sadie?” Ross couldn’t help grinning as he thought about his feisty young cousin, who’d gone off to Italy to forge a life for herself. “She’s still dodging my calls, but I’ve asked Marco to look out for her.”
Finn bristled at the mention of Marco di Angelo. He’d never got on well with the leader of an Italian family of wolf-shifters, probably because their personalities were too similar.
“You trust him?” Finn asked.
“Not really.” Ross was sure when it came to business, Marco would cross them in a heartbeat. “But he’ll not let harm come to an innocent woman.”
Seemingly happy with that, Finn looked away again. Knowing it was best to give him space to lick his wounds, Ross made his way to the kitchen. He found their housekeeper, Anna, at the stove, busily frying bacon and eggs. As he leaned over her to snatch a piece of bacon, she rapped his knuckles with a spatula.
“Ow!” Ross protested as he popped the bacon into his mouth. “That hurt.”
It hadn’t actually made the slightest impact, but this was part of a game he and Anna played. He got a perverse kick out of driving the poor woman mad. Apart from Sadie, who’d flown the coop, Anna was the closest thing he had to a sister. She’d grown up on the Glenlogie Estate alongside the pack and was now married to his cousin, Jamie.
“I wish it had hurt,” Anna said with a grin. “It might stop your thieving.”
“Maybe I like you hitting me with your wooden spoon.” Ross waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Ever think of that?”
Anna snorted dismissively. “Did you just come in here to torment me or was there something you actually wanted?”
“Aye, there was. Can you make some breakfast for our guest?”
Anna arched an eyebrow at his description of Lisa.
“That’s what I’m doing.” She gestured toward the food cooking on the stovetop. “She’s not a vegetarian, is she?”
It had come as a surprise to them all to learn that Finn’s mate, Maddie, didn’t eat meat. Generally, it was assumed that a woman who might one day carry a shifter’s baby would be a carnivore.
“Nope.” Ross had snooped around Lisa’s house a few days ago when she’d first come to his notice as a potential threat to Maddie’s safety. He’d even checked her fridge and she had some leftover chicken in there. “Only one vegetarian around here and I’m about to take her home.”
Anna dropped the spatula to the floor with a clatter. “What?”
“Finn’s sending her home. Seems it’s all over for them.”
“But she’s his mate.” Anna’s eyes teared up. “They’re meant to be together.”
Ross shrugged. That’s what he’d thought. If he understood Finn’s reasoning, he would explain it to Anna, but the fact was, he had no idea what his cousin was thinking. So what if Maddie was a little put out now that she knew his deep, dark secret. He should keep her here and persuade her to accept who he was. That’s what Ross would do. On the face of it, at least, Finn was giving up incredibly easily.
“Anyway, while I’m gone, can you make sure Dr. Hunter’s fed?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“But send Jamie down with the food.”
If Lisa tried anything, Anna’s husband was more than capable of handling her.
“Okay.” Anna pursed her lips. She’d probably wanted to take the food to Lisa so she could check on her. Sometimes Anna was too kind-hearted for her own good.
Satisfied that Lisa would be taken care of while he was gone, Ross left Anna to finish cooking and went to find Maddie.
An hour later, they were in the car and heading back to the city. Although he could tell the silence was making Maddie uncomfortable, Ross did nothing to alleviate the tension. He was angry she’d hurt Finn and also that he’d been dragged away from the house to ensure she got home safely. He had more important things to deal with right now. His irritation wasn’t helped by the fact he was driving her car, a compact vehicle that was far too cramped for a man of his height.
“I could have got myself home.” Maddie seemed to have read his mind.
“You have a head injury.”
She’d collapsed last night when she learned the truth about Finn being a shifter and injured herself.
“It’s a scratch and I’m fine.”
She probably wasn’t impaired in any way, but Ross had orders to follow.
“Well, Finn wanted to make sure you got home safely. I need to check the place over to make sure it’s secure.”
“You still think I’m in danger?”
“You might be.” Ross kept his right hand on the steering wheel and used his left to fish a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. When he found what he was looking for, he handed it to Maddie, who laid the crumpled flyer on her knee and smoothed it out.
“The Knights of St. Francis,” she read the logo at the top. “What is this?”
“It’s an organization that wants to wipe us off the face of the Earth. We dealt with some of them last night, but there may be more out there.”
Ross knew for a fact there were others but was sure they were all overseas.
“And you think they’ll come after me?”
“They might. They’ll never be able to get to Finn, so they may try to take you out instead.”
Maddie frowned deeply.
“But I’m not Finn’s mate. Whatever there was between us, it’s over.”
Ross gripped the steering wheel tighter. He didn’t like the certainty in her voice.
“I doubt they’d care,” he replied, his tone angrier than he’d intended. When he saw the look of fear on her face, he backpedaled. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ve handled it, but we’ll keep an eye on you just in case. Finn won’t allow you to come to any harm.”
Maddie nodded and looked down at the piece of paper on her lap. “Why St. Francis?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“Why the Knights of St. Francis? Wasn’t he an animal lover?”
“So I hear,” Ross replied. He had no idea why they’d picked that name. They probably thought it sounded more impressive to make out they were on some sort of crusade. “He was supposed to have tamed a wolf once, but he didn’t kill it. Perhaps they don’t see us as animals or humans. Perhaps to them we’re monsters that need to be put down.”
He glanced at Maddie to gauge her response. If she agreed with that sentiment, it was probably best if she was out of Finn’s life. Giving little away, she mumbled something about him being right and turned to stare out the window. Thankfully, she didn’t try to strike up another conversation as they drove toward the city. He wasn’t really in the mood for inane chatter. When they pulled up outside her house, he switched off the engine and took the keys from the ignition.
Before getting out of the car, he turned to Maddie.
“I emailed the university pretending to be you. I said you needed time off for personal issues.”
Maddie nodded. She seemed to think about what he’d said and then frowned. “What happened to Lisa?”
Ross was surprised she hadn’t asked about the other woman before now. After all, Maddie had seen him carrying her colleague into the house after he prevented their escape from Glenlogie.
“Your friend was one of that lot.” Ross gestured toward the flyer Maddie still clutched in her hand. “Until I know she’s no threat to you, she’ll be staying with me.”
“You won’t hurt her?”
“No more than she enjoys.” Ross smirked in satisfaction as Maddie’s mouth fell open and her eyes widened. “Stay here while I check the house out.”
As he walked up the path to her front door, he sniffed the air. Nothing unusual. He unlocked the door using the keys that were on the same fob as the car keys and stepped into the hallway. It was a poky little house and he felt he had to hold his breath to squeeze along the narrow corridors. He’d been here before, to gather some of Maddie’s things on the night Finn took her and he didn’t much care for the place. Why would anyone stay here when they could be at Glenlogie? His family home sat on thousands of acres of beautiful countryside and the house itself was big enough that the whole pack could live in it comfortably if they chose to.
