Wild (Wolf Ranch 2)

The bite on my side didn’t hurt, but I could feel it. When I’d put my fingers to it, turning to the side and lifting my arm up in the bathroom mirror, I’d seen the wound was closing. I’d grinned at the mark because I knew it wouldn’t disappear. They would be small scars from Colton’s teeth.

It didn’t scare me. It thrilled me. For the rest of my life, I’d have his mark to remember what we’d just shared, that it would last forever.

Colton drove us back to the ranch in his big truck. He said he didn’t give a shit about the rental, that the company could come pick it up for all the good the thing could do in Montana. I wasn’t going to argue because I agreed. They needed to give it back to the circus where they’d found it. Secretly, I thought he didn’t want me out of his sight, or away from the ability to touch me. Again, I wasn’t going to argue. I didn’t want to stop touching him either.

So when the screen door slapped shut behind us, we froze and stared, hand in hand. Sitting at the large kitchen table was… everyone. Rob, Levi, Johnny, Clint and the other ranch hands whose names I couldn’t remember. Boyd and Audrey were there too. In the middle of the table was the wedding cake, half decimated. Everyone had empty plates--coated with a few crumbs and dabs of frosting on them--and mugs of coffee.

We stared. They stared back.

Then Rob began to clap. All eyes turned to him, but when Colton pulled me into his side, and I looked up and saw his grin. So did everyone else. They clapped, too.

Boyd stood, came around the table and slapped Colton on the back. “Way to go, brother.”

“Oh, my God, are they clapping because you… because we--”

Colton looked down at me. Winked. “They don’t need to see the mark to know I claimed you.” He sniffed, blatantly, and I caught on.

Mortified that everyone was aware we’d had sex, and I’d been bitten by a shifter, I buried my face in his chest, face hot.

“Welcome to the family, Marina,” Rob said. I lifted my head, and he was right there before me. I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze, and I thought I saw the corner of his mouth tip up in a smile. He reached out, stroked my hair in a brotherly way, which made Colton growl until Rob went back to his seat.

I hadn’t ever seen Colton this relaxed, this… happy, even while doing his possessive growling. It was because of me, of us, of the bite. He didn’t have to worry about moon madness any longer, and we’d laid it all out. There was nothing between us now. And, apparently, I smelled like him.

I tugged on his shirt, and he leaned down. “If I smell like you, then does that mean you smell like me?” I whispered.

He grinned. “Abso-fucking-lutely. They’ll know I’ve been used and used well.”

My mouth fell open, and I swatted his rock hard abs.

He laughed, and I stomped over to the empty chair beside Audrey. “I want some cake,” I announced.

Clint picked up the large knife and sliced me off a chunk, placing it on a clean plate. He passed it around to me, and Johnny handed me a napkin and fork.

“Coffee?” Levi asked, rising and going over to the pot.

“Please,” I said.

I watched as Colton dropped into a seat across from me and was given a slice of cake as well. His eyes were on me as he took his first bite.

“The cake’s incredible,” Audrey said, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

“I’m sorry the reception was ruined.” I looked to her, saw she was relaxed and smiling, just like Colton had been. That meant her wedding night had been a good one.

“I’m glad Colton found you. He came by looking for you. We were really worried.”

I glanced at Colton, but he didn’t say a word. He hadn’t told me he’d bothered Audrey and Boyd after I’d left. “He did.”

“I don’t have to ask if everything’s okay.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Everything’s fine.”

Audrey made a show of sniffing the air. “Oh yeah, I definitely smell him on you,” she teased with a big smile. “Just kidding. My nose doesn’t work like that.”

I rolled my eyes. “God, what is it with all of you and sniffing?”

Glancing around the table, all the guys smiled, but didn’t look the least put out.

“I knew you’d been with Colton the second you showed up the other day,” Boyd said. “It surprised me because he hadn’t shown up yet, and you two weren’t supposed to know each other.”

I put a hand to my face. “Well, I guess I smell like him permanently now, so it’s not like you’ll be able to know every time we have sex.”