Crissy Smith: Pack Alpha

Marissa didn’t trust the smooth smile or easy tone. “Yes.”

“So are you trying to piss me off? Any intelligent person would know better than to tell an Alpha a Pack member wasn’t his business or make the comments as you have.” When he reached forward and grabbed her arm, it was too fast for Marissa to avoid. “I feel sorry for the troubles you must have given to your Pack Leader.”

The electricity that flowed through Marissa’s body at Gage’s touch drew a startled breath from her. He must have felt it too, because he immediately let go of her. Marissa stared at him as neither spoke for several minutes. She grasped at anything she could say to make him go away.

“I don’t have a Pack Leader. But I do know how to address the Alpha of a Pack who had been kind enough to let me visit. I apologise. My attitude and disrespectful comments were uncalled for.” Fear and uncertainly had her lowering her eyes to the floor in a submissive gesture. It galled her to show any submission to him, but his touch unnerved her.

She could feel his stare even though she wasn’t looking at him and barely stopped herself from shifting on her feet. The urge to run coursed strongly through her body.

When he finally spoke, she was so surprised her eyes met his.

“Very well then. Now I believe your sister in downstairs about to have a fit with us up here arguing so I suggest we finish this another time.”

Marissa nodded, relieved he would leave now. Maybe he was just as unsettled as she was.

Gage took his leave without another word to her. Marissa sat on her bed and thought about what had just taken place. She looked up at a sound in the hall, she saw Elizabeth standing at the entrance of her guestroom with wide eyes and a frown.

“Don’t start,” Marissa warned her sister.

Elizabeth shook her head. “Gage is a nice man and a good Alpha.”

Marissa smiled even though she felt her face wanted to crack. “I’m sure he is,” she lied.

Gage wasn’t surprised at the knock on his office door, though it did annoy him. Logan opened the door and walked in without hesitation. He grinned at Gage as he sat and lounged on the couch.

“What?” Gage asked, not in the mood for any more games tonight.

“Sam said he ran into you after you met with the Boyd woman.” Logan paused for dramatic effect. It was something Gage usually found amusing. Tonight wasn’t one of those times. “He said you seemed agitated.”

Gage snorted in response. “I am not agitated.”

Logan nodded, his expression growing serious. “No, I didn’t think so. If you were agitated, you might be pacing your office liked a caged…wolf.”

Gage didn’t miss the twitch in Logan’s lips. His second kept the smile from his face this time, but barely. “I am not pacing.”

“No. Absolutely no pacing going on here.” Logan agreed too easily, proving that he was finding too much humour with his Alpha.

“I have had enough with foolish talk for one night, so knock it off.” Gage barely kept the growl out of his voice.

Logan’s blue eyes sparkled. “Things didn’t go so well with Elizabeth’s sister, I take it?”

Gage snorted again and went back to pacing. “She’s rude, stubborn, and…”

“Beautiful?”

Gage swirled around. “How do you know she’s beautiful?”

To Logan’s benefit, he kept a straight face. Logan only gave a careless shrug. “A lot of the men were quite impressed with her.”

“She is not here to be hit on by every available male in the territory,” he said strongly. Too strongly even to his own ears.

“Well, since she was raised in a Pack, I don’t think we should have too much trouble with her,” Logan predicted. No doubt trying to be helpful.

Gage didn’t respond.

“Being raised in a Pack she already knows most rules and our laws,” Logan continued.

“Oh, she knows the rules all right. Knows how to ignore them.”

Logan nodded as if he understood. “It’s not the first time you have encountered a rogue or undisciplined wolf. What makes her different?”

That question was what was bothering Gage. “I don’t know, but get me everything you can on her.”

Logan stood and left Gage once again alone in his office.

“Let’s see what secrets you have, Marissa Boyd,” he said quietly.

After dinner, Marissa claimed being tired from her trip and locked herself in her room. Elizabeth’s future mate had joined them for dinner and Marissa had to admit she liked him even more than she thought she would.

It was obvious that he only had eyes for Elizabeth. He had kept looking at her with stars in his eyes. Marissa didn’t miss the subtle touches that passed between the two of them either.

Marissa was thrilled for her sister, but there was just a hint of jealousy down deep. She tried to push it away, but it was there—just as it had always been.

Deciding a bath would soothe her, Marissa filled the tub with hot water and relaxed into the marble enclosure. Her sister’s house was nice. It wasn’t too fancy but very homey. She thought it matched her sister just as this territory seemed to match her.

Marissa sighed, thinking about the territory. She had been shocked when the Alpha Gage hadn’t demanded she leave. She had been rude to him. She didn’t know of any other Alpha who wouldn’t have punished her.

And he would have had every right. She was his guest and was expected to follow his rules. It might have been more complicated if she had a Pack Alpha standing for her, but she had no one. She didn’t have anyone in her corner and help her smooth things over with him.

Thinking about Gage had her temperature rising. Oh, he was a good-looking man, although there was more to him than just that. There was power there—that was unmistakable—but she sensed something different in him then her old Alpha. Even though they had argued, she didn’t have the same fear of his power as she did others in his position. It was like she could feel the compassion inside him for others. That could only lead to trouble.

She’d given her heart once to a wolf, and it had ended badly. Very badly. She wouldn’t repeat that mistake. Although the Alpha was tempting. So very tempting that Marissa found herself rubbing her breasts thinking about him.

This wasn’t a normal reaction for her. She could always resist her urges. The wolf inside her might not like it, but she could do it. Her only fear was that Gage could push past her defences and make her vulnerable.

As she dipped a hand under the water and rubbed the ache between her legs, she made a vow to herself right then and there. She would never be vulnerable again. Even if it left her sexually frustrated.

She let her fingers rub over the swollen folds of her sex before dipping inside. The pressure of two fingers entering felt so good. With her other hand, she pulled and pinched her nipple. The slight pain added to her arousal.

As she closed her eyes, it was Gage’s face that popped into her head. What would he do if he walked in and saw her touching herself?

Weres were very sexual, and Marissa had stronger urges than most women she knew. Her friends back home were fully human so they wouldn’t understand the burning she constantly felt.

Would Gage drop to his knees beside her? Place his hand with hers? Pump his thick fingers inside her?

Marissa let out a low long moan at the thought. Her fingers moved easily between the folds of her core, building the release she needed. She wondered what he looked like without his clothes. His tanned arms had been revealed earlier. Even with his clothes, she could tell he was built. She’d bet he had a wonderful body.