Tempted (Two Marks 1)

Even though he was upset, Wade remembered that my stomach had rumbled. He would see to my well-being before anything else.

Except, I was going to meet a shifter pack’s alpha. I wasn’t sure about my well-being at that meeting. I wasn’t so hungry after all.

17

LANDRY

I didn’t like bringing Caitlyn over to the West family house. The home was now for Gib and Ben and their newly marked mate, Shelby, whom we were going to meet for the first time.

Except there was more to this visit than meeting the pack’s new alpha female.

Things were so unresolved with Caitlyn, and I knew how Gib would see things. I’d allowed a wolf biologist to tranquilize and install trackers in wolves on our pack land. What’s more, she still planned to publish her research, which could seriously damage any kind of relationship she might hope to form with our pack. And she was our fucking mate! Wade and I needed—hell, our lives depended on—claiming her. Bringing Caitlyn into the pack and making her want to stay.

I didn’t know how in the fuck we were going to do that, but I did know meeting with Gib was only going to make things worse.

But it wasn’t like I had any choice. He was my alpha. I didn’t get special favors for being his brother. In fact, it was the opposite. He held me to a higher standard, especially since I was the one he left in charge of the pack while he was away.

The best I could hope for was that he was still in a honeymoon phase with their new mate, and she’d smoothed his rough edges.

I parked my SUV in front of our house and climbed out.

I hadn’t moved out yet, but it already felt like Gib’s house. He’d returned with a mate. He and Ben would be living together with Shelby. It was time for me to move into Wade’s. Especially since we’d found our mate. Yet, without the certainty of Caitlyn being there permanently, that didn’t feel right, either.

I was in limbo right now, and it certainly was a special kind of hell.

Even though it was my house, I tapped on the back door before entering, showing deference to the change in our situation.

A beautiful young shifter female with long, whiskey-colored hair and tattooed, muscular arms stepped out of the kitchen with a wide smile on her face. She wore jeans and cowgirl boots, and a tight crop-top that showed off a flat, tan belly. Intellectually, I knew she was stunning, but with my own gorgeous mate’s hand in mine, I experienced zero physical response. Which was a good thing, because no male would want to tangle with Gib or Ben if they got possessive of their female. Their marked female.

“You must be Landry.” Shelby threw her arms wide.

I accepted the hug, hesitating before I wrapped an arm around her in return.

“Meet the pack’s new matriarch.” Gib sauntered in behind her, his gaze both warm and possessive at the same time. He sported a fresh tattoo across his right biceps—Shelby’s name in bold letters. I guessed she wanted their bodies marked, too.

“I don’t know about matriarch.” Shelby laughed. “That makes me sound like an old lady.”

“Yeah, I’m the old lady around here,” another voice called from the kitchen, taking me by surprise. A shifter female in her fifties stood there beside Ben.

Shelby had already released me from the hug and was offering her hand to Caitlyn. “That’s my mom, Marne,” she said.

“We talked her into changing packs for Shelby,” Ben explained. For an enforcer, he didn’t look as deadly as usual. In fact, he appeared relaxed and content. Happy.

Shelby and Caitlyn shook hands warmly, and then Shelby introduced herself to Wade.

I grabbed Caitlyn’s hand and tugged her forward to introduce her to Gib and Ben, and to meet Shelby’s mom. “This is Caitlyn, our mate,” I said firmly.

Gib and Ben were both polite to her—thank fuck. Otherwise, I would not have hesitated to throw down with my brother, alpha or not.

“The wolf biologist, yes,” Gib said. His nostrils flared as he scented her, then shot an inquisitive look in my direction.

No, she isn’t marked yet, fucker. My thoughts were more than a little defensive when it came to my mate.

Shelby’s mom was as friendly as Shelby. She touched Caitlyn’s shoulder, her gaze warm. “I’m still getting used to my daughter having two mates—it must be especially shocking for you, as a hum—I mean…” She broke off, sending a worried glance in my direction like she’d said something wrong.

“She knows she’s a human, yes,” Wade said to lighten the mood.

Marne laughed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be awkward. We have a half-dozen or so human mates in the Wolf Ranch pack, so I’m not shocked or anything. I just didn’t know what stage you were at. Courting a human is different than claiming a shifter, isn’t it?” Marne split a bemused glance between Wade and me, and a little of my defensiveness slipped away.