“It doesn’t mean I’ll start smiling or anything.”

“Of course not, Dimples.” That got him a whack over the head. Laughing again, he rolled them over so she was straddling him, and shaped her waist with his hands. “Now that wasn’t nice. You’re supposed to treasure and worship me.” She just rolled her eyes.

Marcus couldn’t help marveling at how much more centered he felt, at how the feel of her inside him steadied him. Not that the anger was gone. It was still there, always would be. But Roni’s presence smoothed over the jagged edges inside him, so they were no longer sharp and cutting—healing him without changing him. “You really can’t bolt now.”

“I wouldn’t have anyway,” she answered honestly. That got her a wide smile. When that smile turned impish, she arched a brow questioningly.

“You know, a petty thought just crept into my brain.”

She sighed. “You like that Nick’s going to freak, don’t you?” Her brother had come to tolerate Marcus, but that was as good as it got—for the simple reason that she was his sister, and he liked to think of her as a sweet, innocent virgin.

“Do you think he’ll cry? I hope so.”

“On another note, aren’t you a little . . . I don’t know . . . disappointed?” Like that, his amusement vanished and he bolted upright.

Wrapping his arms around her, Marcus held her eyes with a serious gaze. “I need you to listen up, sweetheart. Hear me when I say that you are more important to me than any goddamn thing in this world. I’m proud to have you as a mate. Everything about you appeals to me—your strength, your intelligence, your complexity, your frankness, and the fact that you use pointless facts as social repellents. And let’s not forget your ass. I love your addictively supple body, sweetheart, but especially that phenomenal ass.”

It was impossible not to believe him when she could feel his sincerity. She could feel something else from him too—a flash of insecurity. “You don’t honestly worry that I might be disappointed, do you? Because that means I’ll have to dish out some compliments to assure you I’m perfectly happy, and I won’t be good at that.”

“You’re perfectly happy?” Smiling, Marcus lifted her by her waist, aligned his hard cock to her pussy, and impaled her on him. “That tells me all I need to know.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

He’s your mate?”

Smiling at Nick, Marcus slid an arm around Roni to cup her hip possessively. “I knew you’d be happy for us.”

From his seat on the sofa, Nick gaped at his sister. “Seriously? He’s your mate?”

Looking delighted, Shaya came over and kissed both Roni and Marcus on the cheek. “Congratulations!” Then she was crying and fanning her face. “It’s the hormones.”

“I suspected it,” said Eli, “but I wasn’t totally sure.” He kissed Roni on the cheek, and shook Marcus’s hand. One by one, Caleb, Kent, and the enforcers rose from various seats around the living area of the main lodge and congratulated them—careful not to get too close to Roni. While the mating bond was incomplete, the possessiveness would be worse than ever. Nick seemed too shocked to move.

Roni raised her brows at her uncharacteristically quiet mother. “Happy to hear I’m not living in sin after all?” Kathy didn’t answer. And, yeah, that kind of hurt. Similarly, neither Janice nor Eliza offered their congratulations, but whatever.

“Oh, come on! He’s your mate?”

Roni rolled her eyes. “For God’s sake, Nick! Can’t you be happy for me?”

“I am happy that you’ve found your mate; I was hoping you would.” Nick shrugged, practically pouting. “I was just hoping it wasn’t him.”

“I thought you liked Marcus,” said a clearly amused Eli.

“Like? No. Prepared to tolerate? Yes.”

Shaya patted her mate’s thigh. “Do you think, maybe, it’s not that you truly have a problem with Marcus, it’s that you’re just a little bummed that you have to let your sister go now? You’ve been used to being the main man in her life, and now that’s changed.”

Nick folded his arms across his chest. “Maybe.”

“I wouldn’t take it personally that he’s not warm to you,” Eli said to Marcus. “According to Mom, Nick’s been alienating people since he was two years old.”

“When will you have the mating ceremony?” Shaya did a little clap. “Ooh, can I plan it, please?”

It was tradition for the other females of the pack to plan the event, and since Roni wouldn’t have a clue where to start, she nodded. “Sure. Just no fairy-tale theme.”

Shaya nodded. “Got it. How about on Saturday evening?”

“Can you have it planned and sorted in just two days?” asked Marcus.

“Of course. Taryn and Jaime will help me anyway.”

Marcus squeezed Roni’s hip. “Okay then, Saturday it is.”

“Great!” Then Shaya was crying again. “They’re good tears.”

“I’ve just had a thought.” Jesse leaned forward. “Where are you guys going to live?”

“One of you will have to switch packs,” said Zander.

“I’m not,” both Roni and Marcus said in unison. Wincing, they turned to face each other.

“This is probably something we need to discuss in private,” suggested Marcus.

“You can’t leave me, Roni,” whined Shaya. “I’ll be the only female.”

Kathy arched a brow. “What am I, chopped liver?”

“And what about me?” moaned Janice.

“You’ve got me, Shaya,” said Eliza.

Shaya rolled her eyes. “Kathy, I think of you as more of a force of nature than a person. Janice, I don’t like you, and I’ll never like you. Eliza, you have no chance in hell of transferring to this pack, so crawl back out of my ass.” Sweet though Shaya was, she could be pretty outspoken at times.

An outraged Janice marched out of the lodge, and a concerned Kathy trailed after her.

“What if Jesse and I imprint?” Eliza’s glare switched to Jesse when he snorted. Chin up high, she huffed. “Fine. I don’t believe in staying where I’m not welcome.” She jumped up so abruptly that she tipped over the satchel by her foot. A case file slid out, and papers spilled along the floor. Cursing, Eliza bent down and began gathering the sheets together—snarling at Jesse when he tried to help. Just as she went to grab a particular sheet, Marcus picked it up and studied it closely.