“I’ve no doubt you can, mate,” he said with a sly grin. “However, I like to make sure you’re nice and safe. Precious cargo, ya know?” He closed the door before she could respond to his sweet, albeit flirty, comment.

  As they drove, Gage rested his hand on her thigh while Katy kept her arms tightly folded against her chest. For some reason, she felt this existential need to maintain control of her urges. Katy was sure that if she gave in to touching him, she might never stop. Pretty sure that could get all kinds of awkward in public situations. She couldn’t even look at him. Her eyes took in the surrounding scenery, the lush green forest and deep brown bark of the trees. It was beautiful. And so very different from the concrete jungle she came from.

  When they reached Nox’s house, Katy’s nerves kicked into high gear. Nox was an alpha male, dominant like her own mate. Considering Gage had been a bit of an ass when she’d met him, she wondered if Nox would be an ass, too. Did that just go hand in hand with dominance? Guess she’d find out. She took a deep breath and pushed her worries aside. Katy wanted to make a good impression, though considering the wolf’s superior senses, it would be quite obvious to Nox and his mate what she was dealing with.

  “Somebody kill me now and just put me out of my complete and utter abashment,” she muttered under her breath before her door opened and she slipped out. Katy ignored her mate’s outstretched hand. “No touching,” she said, attempting to keep the bite out of her tone, and failing miserably.

  Irritation fluttered across his face as he narrowed his eyes at her. She knew Gage would never hurt her, no matter how much she’d no doubt frustrate him. She also knew that he didn’t appreciate her denying him anything, which was why he simply snatched her hand and entwined their fingers. He tugged her close to his body until their shoulders brushed as they walked toward the massive front doors of the beautiful home.

  “You can touch me whenever you want or need to,” he said, his voice low. “I expect you to extend me the same courtesy.” The words weren’t said in a cruel tone, but he sure as hell wasn’t tiptoeing around her feelings. Not that Gage would ever tiptoe in any capacity, figuratively or literally.

  They barely made it through the door before a beautiful woman swept Katy into a hug. “It is so good to finally meet you,” she said in a warm, raspy voice. “I was sure Gage would keep you all to himself.” When she stepped back from Katy, Everly looked at Gage. “Which would be all kinds of wrong because she’s new to this and you’re not the only one who can give her guidance.”

  Katy could practically feel Gage’s hackles rise. “I can take care of my mate.” His voice dropped into that low, less than friendly tone.

  “I didn’t say you couldn’t,” the woman said, her chin lifted high and her posture dripping with confidence. “But one way to take care of your mate is to make sure every need is met, including the need for her to have females to talk to about her new circumstances.”

  That seemed to shut her mate up.

  “I’m Everly,” the alpha female turned her warm, brown eyes back on Katy. She had long, shiny, brunette hair, cheekbones most women would pay for, and full lips that gave her a bit of a pouty look. She was stunning and tall, though Katy was quite short, so everyone was tall to her, but she thought Everly was above the normal height for a woman.

  “It’s very nice to meet you,” Katy said, one hand still held tightly in Gage’s and the other slipped into her back pocket as she rocked back on her heels. “Thank you for the warm salutation.”

  Everly’s brow rose as her lips tipped up slightly. “Salutation?”

  Katy shrugged. “I like words. The less commonly used in everyday conversation, the better. Also, it usually helps calm my nerves. Although right now, I don’t think even a bottle of whiskey would help.”

  “I’m sure we could find you a glass,” Everly offered.

  “No alcohol,” Gage interrupted. “She’s not even legal.”

  Katy glanced up at him, her lips pursing briefly. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a killjoy?”

  “Only every chance I get,” a deep voice said from behind them.

  Katy turned to see two men walking into the room from a hallway. One was young, maybe a little older than her, while the other seemed to be closer to his forties. Both were incredibly handsome and walked with an air of authority.

  “Justice,” the older male growled. “I’ve told you one of these days he’s going to challenge you just to kick your ass, and I’m not going to step in.”

  The younger one, Justice, simply grinned and then looked at her and winked. “I’m up for a good fight. Especially if it puts a smile on this beauty.”

  The older man sighed. “Hello, Katy,” he held out a hand to her. “I’m Nox, the alpha of Kingdom of Fangs and mate to this beauty.” He motioned to his mate. “This is Justice, my beta.”

  “For now,” Gage muttered. “Hope you have a backup.”

  Katy looked up at him. His face was blank, unreadable as he looked at Justice with complete indifference. As if the male wasn’t even worthy of his attention. But Katy could feel his irritation and jealousy. She nearly rolled her eyes. Did he honestly think anyone else could turn her head? Especially with the pheromones she’d been throwing off like Halloween candy?

  “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, turning her attention back to Nox. “You as well,” she said to Justice. The beta held out his hand but Gage casually batted it away.

  “Okay,” Everly said, rubbing her hands together. “Introductions have been made. I’d like to steal Katy away and spend some time with our new pack female. Nox, you said you had some things to discuss with Gage. I’m sure he can fill Katy in later.”

  Gage’s hand tightened around hers as if he loathed the idea of letting her out of his sight. Katy looked up at him again. She locked up the rampant lust that seemed to rage in her and raised up on her tip toes, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “I’ll see you in a bit.” Before he could pull her tighter to him and demand a deeper kiss, which she knew he would attempt, she deftly slipped away from him and walked beside Everly, leaving the three males behind.

  “You’ll start to feel a little more clearheaded when we get out of his immediate vicinity,” Everly said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Katy blinked back sudden tears. “Is it that obvious?”

  The alpha female looked at her with a tenderness that Katy usually only saw on her dad’s face and she suddenly had a deep longing to talk to her dad. “This is all new, and it’s intense. Mating is intense, but you’re mated to a Dire wolf, and that comes with its own bag of crazy.”

  Everly led her into the kitchen, already putting on a kettle for tea. “So. Tell me what’s going on. And be honest—I can smell a lie a mile away.”

  Katy stared at her hands, cheeks burning. “I, um . . . I think there’s something wrong with me. I can’t stop . . . wanting Gage. It’s like, this heat inside me, and it’s embarrassing, and I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel this way or if I’m just—broken. Gage says it’s normal, but he’s a dude and therefore I don’t feel like he can tell me what is normal for a chick.” She let out a deep sigh. “I just feel so out of my depth, and I’m not usually someone who gets discombobulated.”

  Everly’s smile was gentle. “You’re not broken, Katy. You’re just mated. It’s overwhelming at first, but it is normal. The bond is new, and your bodies are figuring it out. All that need? That’s love, magic, and biology. Give it time. And don’t be afraid to talk to Gage about it. He wants what’s best for you. Even when he’s being an overbearing barbarian, your needs will always come before his own. It’s the way he’s been wired by Visata. He also might tease you a bit because he’s feeling all sorts of studly at knowing how badly you want him. We females are usually better at hiding our desires.”

  Katy let out a shaky laugh. “He’s definitely enjoying it, though he hasn’t teased me too much.” Which was a good thing because she probably would have kicked him in his wolfy balls.

  Everly squeezed her hand. “You’re not alone. And though it’s similar to an animal’s ‘heat,’ it’s not the same because we aren’t just our beast. I wish I could give you a time frame on when it will improve, but it’s different for every mated couple. Gage is a Dire wolf, which means he’s different from us, and that could also affect how you respond to your mating. Regardless, if you need to talk about anything, you can call me.” She held out a piece of paper with her name and number written on it.

  Katy pulled her phone from her back pocket and immediately put Everly’s contact info in. Though she didn’t know the woman, she could sense that she was genuine. She cared about her pack members, and even about Katy. “Thank you,” she told her. “Don’t be surprised if I call you in the middle of the night when I’m having hot flashes and worried I’m going to molest my mate in his sleep.”

  Everly laughed, a beautiful, light sound. “Oh, believe me, he wouldn’t complain.”

  Katy felt something inside her unclench—a knot that had been growing tight and tighter. Maybe things weren’t as bad as she thought. She knew in her gut that she was exactly where she was supposed to be–at Gage’s side. And if that was true, then whatever she was feeling for him wasn’t wrong. Uncomfortable? Yes. But not wrong.

  She took the offered cup of tea and smiled at Everly. “So, what’s it like being the alpha female of a wolf pack?”

  Everly gave her a sly look. “You met Justice, what do you think it’s like?”

  Katy grinned. “Corralling a bunch of middle schoolers hopped up on sugar, caffeine, and hormones?”

  “That’s just the males,” Everely smiled. “And thankfully, Nox deals with them. The females are my domain, and mostly, I just have to keep them from clawing out the eyes of said males. Personally, I think it would be hilarious to blindfold the single males, put them in a big, completely dark warehouse and then set the females loose on them.”

  Katy laughed as she leaned against the counter. “If they’re all as cocky as Justice seems to be, I’d pay to see that.”

  “You feel up to meeting some of those females?” Evelry asked, her brow raised.

  Katy downed the tea and shrugged. “There’s no time like the present, and I need a distraction.”

  The alpha female chuckled. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re mated to the ever mysterious Gage. The girls are going to swarm you with questions.”

  “Like if he ever smiles?” Katy said, rolling her eyes.

  Everly motioned her to follow. “Yup. And fair warning, she-wolves are very comfortable in their sexuality. They don’t have any boundaries when it comes to wanting details. Especially about a male as elusive as your mate. Put them in their place, show them you’re dominant to them, and they’ll back off.”

  “Bitch slap them,” Katy gave a sharp nod. “Got it.”

  Chapter Two

  “In all my long existence, nothing has tested my control like the scent of my mate’s need. I’m like a dehydrated man, and she is an overflowing glass of water. But she’s so damn stubborn that I’m still over here parched as hell.” ~ Gage

  Gage had never enjoyed waiting. He especially hated it when the waiting was for news that made his mate look like she might unravel at any second.

  He stood in Nox’s office, arms crossed, jaw tight, trying to look like he wasn’t about to snap the legs off the desk just to have something to do. The room was all dark wood and clean lines, the windows open to the late-morning light, but the energy was tight and suffocating. Justice lounged on the edge of a battered leather chair, flipping a pen between his fingers. Nox stood behind the desk, radiating alpha calm that was about as real as a three-dollar bill.

  Gage could feel Katy on the other side of the house—her anxiety a low ache in the back of his mind, her scent clinging to his clothes, her worry for Maddie like a storm cloud shadowing every thought. It was more than just empathy. The bond he shared with Katy was a live wire, and right now, it was burning him alive. He ached to go to her, to haul her into his arms and bury his face in her neck, to touch and claim and reassure until the only thing left in her was the need for him, and the only thing left in him was the taste of her skin. It was primal and raw, and it was taking everything he had to keep it on a leash.

  He didn’t know Maddie well. They’d been around each other a handful of times under stressful situations, but she wasn’t his friend—she was Katy’s. That was enough. If Katy hurt, he hurt. And right now, he’d do anything to erase the fear in her eyes, even if it meant tearing KOS apart with his bare hands.

  “So let me get this straight,” Justice drawled, voice just a hair too casual. “Roan and Maddie fly out, send a check-in as they’re boarding, and then poof. Nothing.”

  Gage shot him a look. “You want to repeat it a third time, or maybe you need a diagram?”

  Justice grinned, unbothered. “Just making sure I’ve got the facts. You know I’m a details man.”

  Nox cut him a look, which for most would mean shut up before I rip out your tongue. Justice just grinned wider.

  Nox turned his attention to Gage. “I’ve put out feelers. Lyric, the Silk shaman, claims she hasn’t seen or heard from them. Says if they’d arrived, she’d know.” He folded his arms, gaze sharp. “But the Pride’s plane landed in Silk territory. That’s confirmed.”

  “Could they have been intercepted before they reached the house?” Gage asked, already running through possibilities. The Kingdom of Silk was known for being insular, secretive, and more than a little weird about outsiders.

  Nox’s lip curled. “If they were, Lyric’s either lying or doesn’t know her own kingdom as well as she thinks.”

  Justice tapped the arm of the chair with the pen. “Or someone’s working around her. We still don’t know all the players that were involved with Azure.”

  Gage’s wolf bristled at that. The beta wasn’t wrong. For all they knew, KOS had been a cohort with Azure and his insane voodoo priestess.

  “Kingdom of Chaos was working around her,” Gage reminded them. “If Kingdom of Silk was doing the same, then their own territory in California isn’t very far from KOC in Las Vegas. It would be easy for them to transport females such a short distance.” Gage wanted to snarl at the idea of kingdoms working together to hurt innocent women.

  “Nico is looking into Wolfgang and Tallula’s dealings with Azure,” Nox said. “Crowley, has informed me that Nico will be calling a meeting of the shaman council soon. He’s been attempting to gather evidence.”

  Gage wondered where the Kingdom of Fangs shaman had been. He was nearly as anti-social as himself. “Is anyone doing an investigation into the other kingdoms?” he asked Nox as he fought the need to pace like a caged animal. Standing here chit-chatting felt unproductive, even though he knew that wasn’t true. They couldn’t just go out into kingdoms without a plan. Normally, Gage wasn’t impulsive, but his mind and his wolf were so focused on Katy that he was beginning to feel out of control. He couldn’t stand seeing her this anxious, couldn’t stand the tightness in her smile every time she tried to pretend she wasn’t worried sick. He wanted to fix it. Wanted to fix her. Wanted to fix all of it, right now, with his own two hands and a snarl. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

  And if he thought that was bad, the animal that lived inside him was worse. His wolf howled for his mate. For her touch. For her skin. For her need, which had lit something inside him that was so fierce and consuming it scared him. Every time he brushed against her, every time she looked at him like he was the only thing that could ground her, it took everything in him not to drag her off somewhere private and lose himself in her until neither of them could think straight. He was holding the leash, but it was fraying.

  Nox’s phone buzzed. He picked it up, scowling at the screen. “Taras and Callon are ready for the video call.”

  “I didn’t know we were having a video call,” Gage grumbled.

  Nox bared his teeth at him. “Now you do.”

  Justice let out a low whistle. “You two are going to have to reign in your wolves, or I’m going to be explaining to both your mates why you both look like you’ve been run through a blender.”

  Gage didn’t verbally admit that the beta was right, mostly because he couldn’t stand him. So instead, he stepped closer to the desk as Nox hit the connect button. The screen flickered to life, revealing Taras’s feline features—bored, elegant, and just a little too pretty for Gage’s taste. Beside him was Callon, the son of the prime and mate of Katy’s other best friend, Lola. He was all sharp lines with predatory stillness.

  “Dire Wolf,” Callon greeted, voice like gravel. “Nox. Justice.” His gaze scanned over them, then settled back on Gage. “Any news?”

  “We were hoping you had something new,” Nox said.

  Taras shook his head. “Other than what I texted you earlier, there’s been nothing. I’ve reached out to Lyric again, but she swears she never saw Roan or the human.”

  Callon’s eyes narrowed. “If Roan chose to take Maddie to the Kingdom of Silk first, that means he must trust Lyric. And I trust our shaman. If she says they didn’t arrive, I believe her. But that means someone’s hiding something—or someone got to them before they reached her.”

  Justice muttered, “Damn arachnids have always been sneaky. They’re not much different from snakes in the grass.” He paused. “Except for the legs, obviously.”

  Nox stared at his beta. “You done?”

  “Sorry,” Justice shrugged. “Just thinking out loud.”

  Gage ignored him, focusing on Taras. “You got anyone on the ground?”

  Taras shook his head. “Not yet. Since you all visited them, they’ve been a tad testy with anyone being in their territory. We need to be diplomatic. But we’ve got eyes on the borders. No sign of them leaving, with females or otherwise. I just can’t imagine any kingdom harming or attempting to harm a shaman, not to mention a new one.”

  Nox leaned forward, voice all alpha command. “If someone’s moving against the shamans, it’s a bigger cluster than even Azure. We need to figure this out before any other shamans go missing.”