AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I have one boy,” Sasha frowned. “Mongrel claimed him first, though. That big giant went all caveman the first night and threw him over his shoulder.”
“It’s not a competition,” I assured her.
“Isn’t it?” Sasha smiled sadly at me. “Didn’t Grimm go ballistic on you tonight?”
Strawberry, wisely, completely ignored our little aside. “Oh sweetie, we saw how the giant was watching you. Trust me, you have Mongrel hooked on that sweet and sassy scent of yours. Won’t take that mountain of muscle long to make his move.”
Sugar giggled. “We’re all happily jealous, just so you know.”
“So I heard,” Sasha mumbled, her cheeks flushing.
My girl was clearly thinking back to Popcorn’s mini-intervention when she’d responded to my SOS. And then stuck around long enough for Sasha to cool off and consider her options. I shot my friend a grateful smile. She’d saved my bacon twice over with her nosiness. First in doing right by Sasha and then by grabbing Bulletproof as soon as he’d returned to Soul Reaper territory after dropping the others home.
Popcorn smirked at me like she knew exactly what I was thinking. “This whole situation is made funnier, of course, because Doodle wants nothing to do with Ranger.”
Strawberry cackled in agreement while Sugar added, “Yeah. She knows where he’s been. Rolling around in skanky pussy.”
The sweetbutts high fived and I quickly explained to the group at large the situation. “She’s gonna make him work for the mark, that’s for sure. May not even let him claim her.”
“And people do that here? For real?” Robbie asked. “Your wolves don’t force the claim? Even on humans?”
“Prez wasn’t talking out of his ass that first night. Our people don’t force a claim on anybody,” Popcorn growled. She yanked her tank top to the side and revealed a crescent mark on her upper boob. “The Soul Reapers don’t hold with one-sided matings. End of story.”
Everyone was silent for a beat, taking the fierce sweetbutt in with a new look of respect, then Addy grinned slyly. “Bet you stuck it to that fucker good.”
Popcorn bared her teeth in a snarl and Addy’s grin grew wider at the sight. “Sure did, little wildcat. Fucker never even knew what was coming for him. Afterwards, when I had nothing to rub together, Grimm took me in. Even though I’d been labelled a mate killer and thrown out of my old pack.”
“So sometimes people reject the claim?” Sasha asked, her tone slow and heavy.
As her anxiety swirled, rising through the bond, I sent her comfort. This time my mate didn’t lean into my offer. She held her ground, silently waiting on my answer.
“Yes, kitten, they do,” I sighed. “It takes real willpower but it is possible to reject the pull of the Blood Moon.”
“And nobody has more willpower than him.”
I could see the thoughts going to war on her face. I felt the flash of hurt and shame as keenly as if it were my own. Again, the girls didn’t get involved. Neither did Sasha’s people. My mate and I stared into each other’s eyes while the rest of the world dropped away.
We both knew one wolf with tremendous willpower.
Oh, Mongrel would happily cave in a matter of days. He only wanted to ensure we were both settled in our place in the pack before he gave in to the mating call. When he did come for Sasha, I had a feeling she would meet his hunger stroke for stroke.
But it was possible that Grimm would be a stubborn enough asshole to hold out. And if he did, it would kill something inside them both.
A trickle of worry swirled inside me and Sasha shot me a wan smile of understanding.
Addy nodded sloppily. In her slightly toddled state, the usually shrewd girl was completely missing the undercurrent going on around her. “Wolves feel the magical woo-woo call but the humans make the choice. I like it.”
“Okay, now that everyone’s tongues are all liquored up, I have questions. What do y’all like to do? What are you good at?”
Popcorn pulled out a notebook and a fluffy tipped pen, looking at the humans expectantly.
“Wow. Conversation change, much?” Addy mumbled as she snuck another sip from Strawberry’s drink.
Berry pretended not to notice. I glared at my friend and she winked back at me in a ‘let the kid have some fun’ kind of way.
“I used to run my Uncle’s pub,” Sasha shuddered.
I ran soothing hands along her calves. “They delivered your message real good, kitten. Grimm broke him, then Mongrel finished him off. Told him to ship out and leave the title. Pub’s yours if you want to run it for the Soul Reapers.”
