“I have nothing to say to you, Shawna,” Marco growled. “You betrayed our pack and even managed to turn my mate against me. You must be very proud. ”
“Alpha, please listen. All we want to do is live within the compound again. We want to come back and be a part of the pack. We would follow your rules and respect you as our Alpha. But we have to be allowed to live freely, without making our mates submit if they don’t want to. Our mates who don’t submit are not danger
ous to the pack or to anyone else. We have proof of that. To keep denying it is not the sign of a good Alpha. ”
“You dare speak to me that way. ” Marco was aware of his face burning red with fury. Low growls emanated from his throat.
A quiet voice behind him made the blood race through his veins. “Stop being so stubborn! Listen to her, Marco. Please. You’re wrong about this. ”
Marco whirled around to face Nicky on the trail behind him, looking miserable, yet incredibly lovely in the moonlight, his golden curls tipped with silver. Marco growled at him, his gaze shooting out his fury. How dare he—his own mate—say he was wrong about a pack decision? Before he could stop himself, he shifted and lunged, knocking Nicky to the ground, his teeth at his throat, ready to sink his fangs deep into the throbbing jugular. The sounds of the screaming rogues behind him swirled around him as a red haze covered his vision.
His snout was deep into Nicky’s neck, and Nicky lay very still, his eyes tightly closed, his face turned away and his throat bared. Marco could hear his heart thumping wildly. Nicky’s unique smell suddenly overcame Marco, and he faltered. “Mate,” his brain screamed at him. He pulled his head back, still snarling yet whining nervously. Nicky opened his eyes, his beautiful eyes blankly registering shock. Jumping back in horror, Marco brushed past Shawna and her mate, racing down the trail, so furious and tormented he couldn’t shift back to human shape.
Feeling horrified and shocked over almost killing his own mate, Marco tore down the trail and into the night, shame and heartbreak eating away at him like acid.
Chapter Six
Trembling, Nicky sat up and watched the huge silver wolf race away. He was devastated. He didn’t know for sure, but thought it must be pretty damn unusual for a wolf to attack his own mate. He’d made Marco so angry, he was afraid he’d never forgive him. He shuddered with reaction and fear.
Her face shocked and white, Shawna ran over to him and helped him up. “I’m so sorry, Nicky. I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling. ”
“I’ve been better. ” Nicky tried to make a joke about it, but it hurt too much. A sob escaped his throat, and he dashed tears from his eyes. “What can I do now, Shawna? He wanted to k-kill me. He was about to tear my head off. ”
“Oh, Nicky. ” She patted his arm. “He didn’t know what he was doing. He shifted while he was still furious. He was totally out of control, and I know he’s feeling horrified right now at what almost happened. The fact that he was able to stop himself proves how much he loves you. Marco will come to his senses. He has to! Just give him a couple of days. ”
“Did you see his face? I did. He wanted to rip my throat out. ”
“No, Nicky, he loves you. You’re his blood match and his mate. He won’t be able to stay away from you. Wolves mate forever. ”
Nicky shook his head and turned to follow the rogues back to their camp, his feet dragging. He supposed he was a rogue now too. His own mate had rejected him, had almost killed him. He had hoped to be going back home with Marco tonight, to sleep in their bed together again, but Marco took what he’d tried to do as betrayal and was so humiliated he had refused to try to understand Nicky’s reasons for helping the rogues.
Now it was over. He’d gambled and lost. Marco was right about his recklessness. It had almost taken his life once, and by taking this chance and losing Marco, he had truly destroyed himself.
* * * * Marco paced up and down in his bedroom, more distraught than he’d ever been in his life. Two days had passed since the terrible night on the trail. He kept thinking about what happened with Nicky. How could he have attacked his own mate? What if he hadn’t caught his scent at the last second and been able to stop himself? It didn’t bear thinking about. If he had injured Nicky or, God forbid, killed him…his throat closed up, and he was violently ill, only barely making it to the basin in time.
He was rinsing his mouth when a knock came on his door. “Go away!” he shouted miserably.
The loud knocking only increased. “Open the door, Marco. Please, it’s about the rogues. ”
Marco pulled the door open to find Rory standing in the hallway, looking pale and worried. “The rogues have come to talk to you. You won’t believe what they have to say. ”
Marco frowned at Rory and then brushed past him and went downstairs to find Shawna and some of her pack members pacing nervously up and down in the common room. Nicky stood at the back of her assembled pack, keeping his head down and his gaze on the floor. Marco could pick up his thoughts, troubled and utterly sad. He wanted to rush to him and hold him, and he held himself back only with great effort.
He walked up to Shawna sternly, trying not to even glance again in Nicky’s direction. His hands shoved in his pockets, angry and upset, he to hide it behind a mask of indifference.
“What do you want, rogue?”
Shawna stepped up to him confidently. “We have a proposition for you, Alpha. ”
“I’m listening. ” Marco fairly growled his answer.
“We’re here again to ask you to allow the rogues to rejoin your pack. We hoped you’d had time to reconsider. We would swear allegiance to you and follow all your orders. The only concession we would ask is that you allow our resistant males and females to live with us as your natural born pets do, without restraints and with more freedom. ”
Marco snorted. “Why would I do that? I owe you nothing. ”
“It is our right. We share the same ancestry as you. This land was left to us as well as you. If you deny us, we’ll declare a challenge to your pack. ”
The reaction from Marco’s pack was immediate and angry. They crowded around him, upset and whining. Ian, his beta, stood frowning by his side. Marco laughed mirthlessly.