Dark Instincts (The Phoenix Pack 4)

“Ah, well, that explains it.” She nodded, totally getting this wolf now.

Marcus frowned. “What?”

“Why you downplay your dominance. You’ve been doing it for so long to placate your dad and protect his pride that it became part of your personality. Add in the fact that you simply have no fear of being challenged, and it’s no wonder that you are the way you are.”

Marcus thought about that for a minute. “You might be right.”

She snorted. “Of course I’m right.” He chuckled against her shoulder before kissing it lightly.

As her hand drew patterns down his arm, Marcus closed his eyes in contentment. Her touch was rarely given, so it meant more. When those fingers skimmed over the claw marks on his arm, her hand froze, and she quickly snatched it back—like a kid caught with their hand in a cookie jar.

“Sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. I’m not going to break down because you touched a scar.” And he wanted her hand back on him, but she didn’t look convinced. “Will it help if I tell you how I got it?” Before she could answer, he began, “When our old pack split and we left with Trey, there was another among us. His mom, Louisa. She left her mate behind to stay with Trey. Some can handle that type of distance from their mate, but she . . . Some people just aren’t strong. The separation was too much for her and her wolf. Eventually, she turned rogue. She targeted me . . . Trey snapped her neck.”

Fuck, Roni truly hadn’t seen that coming. She’d assumed it was a souvenir from one of his father’s beatings—if such a thing had even happened.

“Don’t think I wallow or dwell. I don’t. She was rogue; there was no coming back from that. But I hate that I’d hesitated and placed Trey in a position where he had to step in, even though Trey’s told me over and over that he gets it.” He nipped her earlobe, craving some physical contact. As if she sensed that, she smoothed her hand over his shoulder. “I never wanted to be an enforcer, you know. Like you, I don’t like to follow or lead. But I took the position because he asked.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “So you see, we’re similar in that way, you and me. We’re both trying to make up for something that really wasn’t our fault.”

“I guess we are.”

He licked over his new mark, drawn to it in a way he couldn’t explain. “I can sense how relaxed your wolf is right now. My wolf wants to play with her.” The animal sensed that her wolf would be an interesting playmate.

“Don’t you mean ‘mount’?” Roni snickered.

He smiled impishly. “That too.”

Her wolf had no objections to that. In fact, she was pushing for it, and that was a real worry. “I’m wary about allowing the two of them to run together.”

“Why?”

“My wolf can be playful. But she’s very aggressive when going after what she wants.”

Marcus easily read between the lines. “You think she’d brand my wolf?”

“I know she’ll leave him all marked up.” When it came to marking a shifter while they were in their human form, it wasn’t so serious; the human half could be okay with it, and the inner wolf might even approve. But when in their animal form, most shifters didn’t like being marked by any other than its mate. And Roni’s wolf had a very big thing for Marcus Fuller.

“As long as she’s okay with my wolf doing the same to her, we won’t have a problem.”

That sure shocked her. “What’s that now?”

Marcus shook his head at Roni’s flabbergasted expression. “You have absolutely no idea what you do to my wolf, do you? He wants you as much as I do. He likes the look of my mark on your skin.”

“Just how many females—or males, for that matter—have you branded in your time?”

That made Marcus tense. “You really want to know?”

Did she, even though what suspiciously felt like jealously threatened to surface? “Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” With more conviction, she added, “I want to know, other than me, how many have you marked?”

He placed his face close to hers. “None.”

Her brows flew up. Quietly, she echoed, “None?”

“None.” He tapped her nose lightly. “So think about that if you ever get the urge to bolt, pretty baby. I’ll just come right after you.”

CHAPTER TEN

Whoever was knocking on his bedroom door this early was going to get his fist in their face. “Go. Away.”

Marcus tightened his hold on the female he was spooning, burying his face in her hair. Roni hadn’t even slightly stirred, which was probably because he’d woken her at least three times through the night. Her body was fast becoming an addiction, and he wanted it again.

Moving her hair aside to lick at the fresh mark on her nape, he cupped her breast and squeezed, smiling at the low moan that escaped her.

More knocking.

He growled. “What?”

“It’s me. Open up.” Dante was using his Beta tone, which meant this had to be important.

Slipping out of bed, Marcus pulled on a pair of jeans as he headed for the door. Opening it wide, he tensed at Dante’s serious expression. “What is it?”

Dante shoved a mug of coffee into his hand. “I know it’s early, but we can’t wait around. Rhett and Donovan managed to track the IP address. We have a location on the jackals.”

Five minutes later, Roni and Marcus joined Rhett and the Phoenix half of the hunting party at the kitchen table.

“So . . . where are the fuckers hiding?” asked Roni before shoving a vanilla lollipop into her mouth.

“Seattle.” Rhett scratched his nape. “But I have to warn you, this could be a completely unproductive day.”

Marcus frowned and paused chewing. Taryn, bless her soul, had placed a large plate of toast on the table. Swallowing it down, he asked, “Why?”

“The problem with tracing IP addresses is that it doesn’t necessarily mean the owner is situated there.”

Taryn arched a brow. “So it could just be an empty building?”

“Well, from the searches I’ve done on the house, it belongs to a human family.”

The Alpha female pursed her lips. “I doubt the jackals will have help from humans.”