Dark Instincts (The Phoenix Pack 4)

“I can’t get onto the website,” announced Marcus, returning his cell to his pocket.

“Me neither.” Dante twisted slightly in the seat in front of them. Trey and Taryn, who were sitting in the same row as the Beta, mirrored his move. “You need to be a subscribed member.”

Taryn shrugged. “So just enter a few fictional details to become a member.”

Marcus shook his head. “Can’t. The questions are pretty specific, requiring you to state stuff like your pack name, location, and Alpha—things that can be cross-referenced. Whoever created the site, and I’m assuming it was the Scorpio Pack, likes to pre-approve their members. I have to wonder why they’re being so careful.”

A muscle in Trey’s jaw ticked. “Dante, get Rhett on it.” Immediately, the Beta took out his cell phone and called Rhett.

“The questions tell us one thing,” began Taryn. “It’s clearly exclusive to shifters.”

“What does ‘SNM’ stand for?” asked Roni.

“It doesn’t say.” It was all too mysterious and secretive for Marcus’s peace of mind.

Taryn worried her bottom lip. “I don’t like this.” Trey tugged her closer, and she melted into him.

As the Alpha female took comfort in her mate’s touch, Roni watched the scene curiously. She’d been brought up to believe that leaning on others emotionally made a person weak; that it made them vulnerable to that person. Kathy Axton seemed to see weakness all around her—especially in Roni, who she insisted on treating like a helpless kid.

She’d always been emotionally reserved with Roni. In Kathy’s opinion, a need for emotional feedback in a female was a weakness, and she did not want her daughter to be weak. So she had withheld physical affection to literally train Roni not to need it, to not even feel the need to give it.

It was the way Kathy herself had been raised, and maybe emotional intimacy was in fact a weakness. But Taryn didn’t look weak right then. Just the same, Shaya never appeared weak when taking comfort from Nick. They just looked . . . happy.

A large, warm, calloused hand gently lifted Roni’s, taking her from her thoughts. She frowned as Marcus flattened his hand to hers and began examining them from every angle. “What are you doing?” Instead of answering her, he slid his hand down to cuff her wrist, and breezed his thumb over a jagged scar on her palm. There was nothing sexual about it, but her stomach clenched at the skin-to-skin contact.

“How did you get that?”

Roni tried retrieving her hand, but he held tight. “I had a fight with a cougar.”

“Shifter?”

“No, a full-blood. I was in my wolf form at the time.”

Marcus turned her hand over, exposing a long, thin scar. “What about this one?” He was genuinely curious, but he was also intent on breaking the touch barrier. With Roni, it had to be done slowly and subtly, so subtly that she didn’t even realize his intent.

“Eli’s ex-girlfriend wouldn’t back off and leave him alone. I wasn’t okay with that. Things turned a little bloody.”

“Did you leave your own marks on her?”

Her smile was a little feral. “Well, of course. I heard that the amnesia’s past and her motor skills are back to normal.” His laugh was totally wicked. Noticing long claw marks on his forearm, she asked, “Where did you get that?” His entire demeanor suddenly changed. The carefree, playful expression was replaced by a blank mask that was totally in contrast to the dark energy radiating from him.

His gaze turned unfocused, as if he were lost in a memory. His reaction alarmed her, since dominant males were never particularly bothered by scars, seeing them as badges of honor. She kept her voice gentle. “Hey.” He double-blinked, his eyes back in focus.

Releasing her hand, Marcus cleared his throat. “Sorry, sweetheart. Woolgathering.”

He’d instantly slipped back into his old self, offering her an easy smile, but Roni detected a hint of pain in his voice. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly fair that he expected her to answer his questions yet wasn’t prepared to answer hers. She might have been pissed if she hadn’t seen the look in his eyes. He’d been wrestling with something dark, battling painful memories that had a tight hold on him. She could understand that. Still, she wanted him to know she wasn’t fooled. She dug something out of her pocket and held it out to him. “Lollipop?”

Marcus looked from Roni to the candy and started laughing. He got the message: by offering him something she used when she was anxious, she was letting him know that she was very much aware that something troubled him. He took the lollipop with a nod of thanks.

It was then that he noticed Nick eying him suspiciously from the front row. His wolf didn’t like it, but Marcus couldn’t really blame the guy. If the Alpha had any idea of the fantasies running through Marcus’s mind that involved Roni and something else he’d like her to suck, Nick would slash his throat open.

Turning to Roni, Marcus spoke quietly. “Your brother’s going to tell you that I’m not good for you.”

Taken aback by the comment, she blinked at him. He discreetly nodded toward Nick. If that scowl was anything to go by . . . “Yep.”

“He thinks I’m a slut.”

“Yep.”

“He’s going to confront me about it at some point, order me to stay away from you.”

“Yep.”

“But I won’t.” Marcus held her gaze, not wanting her to miss the determination in his eyes. “Just thought you should know.”

He brushed the pad of his finger over her jaw. This wolf really was smooth, and she . . . wasn’t. She pulled back. “Stop, okay. I don’t play your kind of games.” She didn’t know how to play his kind of games, wasn’t experienced with flirting. It made her feel vulnerable, out of her league.

“What makes you think this is a game to me?”

She snorted. “You flirt with everyone, Marcus. I don’t like being played with that way.”

“Flirting is supposed to be fun and playful, sweetheart. It doesn’t mean I’m not serious.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear, making the whole thing painfully intimate. “I want you. I want to make you come so hard that the memory’s burned into your brain and you’ll never forget the feeling of me deep inside you.”