“When’s the mating ceremony scheduled for?” asked Trey.

Oh there would be no mating ceremony. Roscoe was keen to get it over with because her dad had insisted on there being one before he would hand her over completely – only so he had an excuse to have a get-together with all his alliances and look the big man. No way would she bind herself to someone she didn’t care for or even like. Then there was the matter of Roscoe being a control freak; she had picked that up from his interactions with his enforcers, all of whom were intimidated by him. She didn’t believe they were scared of him in a physical sense. It was as though he had some sort of hold over them, like he held their secrets in the palm of his hand or something like that.

Also, if the rumors were right, Roscoe got his kicks from inflicting pain on women. Considering he had forced his mark on her in the middle of a night club, she had no problem believing that. She had expected him to strike her after she practically crushed his balls with her hand in retaliation, but when he could finally stand and had finished panting, he merely smiled. It was a creepy smile that swore revenge, but he hadn’t stopped her from walking away. Apparently he was biding his time.

To escape the mating, her first stop had been her dad. As he wanted the alliance, she wasn’t getting any help from that corner. Her next stop should be her Alpha, but as her dad was the Alpha, that avenue was closed to her. She could try leaving the pack but that wouldn’t improve her situation. As a lone wolf without any protection, pack, or territory she would be easy pickings, and Roscoe would undoubtedly be the picker.

The only other person she had was her uncle – her deceased mother’s youngest brother – who she hadn’t seen since he mated into another pack ten years ago. Her plan was to ask him to approach his Alpha with the idea of accepting her into his pack, but she wasn’t optimistic. Although she was a healer, she was also latent and she couldn’t envision any Alpha being particularly interested in taking in a latent wolf. The question was, even if the Alpha did take her in, would he be prepared to challenge Roscoe if he – angry at being thwarted as only a control freak could be – came to bring her back?

She thought about telling Trey that she liked Roscoe even less than he did, but sometimes it was a case of ‘better the devil you know’ – and this particular devil was possibly worse than Roscoe. Instead of answering his question, she got herself comfy on the seat, crossing her legs yoga-like, and sipped the coffee that Smiley had placed in front of her.

“Does your silence mean you haven’t set a date yet?”

“Oh, didn’t I answer? That’s probably because it’s none of your business.”

He felt his mouth twitch into a smile. “You must be looking forward to soon becoming an Alpha Female of a pack.”

Something about his tone had her frowning. “Are power hungry females the only type you’ve known?”

He shrugged. “Isn’t it what every female wolf dreams of?”

“Oh yes, and I’m bowled over with excitement at my upcoming position.”

Strangely he found that he liked her sarcastic streak. “I thought you were a healer.”

“I am.”

“Typically they have gentle natures.”

“I fall flat there.”

“I heard you’re quite a powerful healer.”

She was. There were three different types of healers. Some worked on an emotional level, neutralising or healing emotional wounds. Others drew the aches and pains into themselves, acting more as a sedative and ensuring a speedy recovery. Then there those like Taryn who could heal the actual wounds within minutes, guaranteeing a recovery.

“Do you always sit in odd positions?”

“Just be thankful I’m not sitting on your countertop. That’s where I usually sit when I’m in the kitchen.” Maybe because it reminded her of all the times her mom had sat her there while they baked together, maybe not.

“What about in the bedroom?” he asked with what he knew was a wicked, suggestive grin. “Do you get in odd positions in there too?”

“Depends if the male can succeed in pinning me down.”

“Ah, of course. You’re an alpha.” And alphas, whether they were leaders of their own pack or just alpha by nature, didn’t surrender without the male proving their dominance. Just the idea of fighting to have Taryn submit to him had his c**k throbbing and his balls aching. He knew she’d fight him like a wildcat.

He liked his women strong and feisty, but they were often too intimidated by him to challenge him. If they weren’t intimidated by his unapproachable air, it was the heavy dominant vibe he gave off. If it wasn’t either of those that intimidated them, it was how close his wolf was to the surface. That was if they weren’t scared enough initially by his reputation. The only female who had ever stood up to him – and still did on a regular basis – was his grandmother.

“Do you have any cookies or something to go with this coffee?”

Marcus placed a pack of his grandmother’s cookies beside her mug and she immediately delved into them. Trey’s gaze was helplessly drawn to her carnal mouth as she chewed. Images of those lips around his c**k flashed through his mind, making his wolf growl inside his head. Then his entire body clenched as she sucked the dribbles of coffee from the tips of her fingers. Well f**k. What made the whole thing even more of a turn-on was that she clearly had no idea she was being watched by every male in the room. She was innocently and unknowingly provocative. Of course Roscoe would want her, but it was still difficult to understand him taking a spitfire for a mate. He was too controlling to mate with a strong-willed woman.

What Trey found even more difficult to understand was why Taryn would want Roscoe as a mate. Yeah he knew females tended to like Roscoe and his charming ways that hid his coldness, but Taryn seemed like someone who would snort at flowery words and oppose being with someone who wanted to control her. It didn’t make sense. They didn’t make sense. That was why he was thinking that maybe his suspicions about their supposed mating had truth in them.

One of his enforcers, Dominic, had come to Trey with the story of how he had stumbled upon Roscoe and a female wolf having some sort of struggle. Dominic had been ready to interfere when he saw the fresh bite on her skin – a claiming. He had walked away then; no shifter with any sense would try to interfere in a row between mates. Still, the whole scene had bugged Dominic because she hadn’t looked willing. What Trey hadn’t been able to figure out was why she would allow anyone to get away with forcing their mark on her. Her father was Alpha of the pack for Christ’s sake. Surely he wouldn’t allow that.