Page 16 of Their Marked Mate

Nate shook it as he said, “Alex will negotiate the details of what we need and what you can expect from us.”

“What are their names?” Garrett asked as he scrolled through the images. “Which three are you sending to us?”

“The tall one is Kristen, Layton is in blue, and the one with the reddish hair is April,” Paul listed.

“Stay for lunch,” Soko directed. “It’s a long walk back.”

Nate was pleased by the outcome, but staying would rob him of an evening with Luna and he really wanted to see her again. Not willing to risk upsetting Soko, Nate manufactured a smile. “It’s been weeks since we shared a beer. It would be an honor to dine with you.”

CHAPTER 3

Luna spent the next two weeks in the lab. Either Alex or Nate checked on her progress at least once a day and guards were stationed outside the doors. It was obvious that she wasn’t allowed to leave, but her new accommodations were infinitely better than the stockade.

Each time one of the males stopped by to check on her, Luna’s stomach tied in knots. She wasn’t afraid of them, but she couldn’t rid her mind of their first night together. A shiver raced down her spine as she remembered the harsh discipline. Having her backside bared and paddled had been humiliating and painful, but what followed had been so much worse. Alex penetrated her bottom with some sort of plug, proving his control in the most savage way possible. If there had only been pain, she could have endured the punishment more easily. But the bastard aroused her, forcing pleasure from her trembling body until she screamed with release. She shook away the memory, refusing to dwell on the incident. Open defiance had been counterproductive. She needed a better strategy.

So she decided to be respectful and make it look like she was cooperating. She studied Babcock’s notes and had ideas about how to proceed, but she had yet to begin implementing any of the changes. Alex and Nate never stayed long, and she had given them no reason to discipline her again, so she spent all her time alone. Their message was clear. They wanted her to focus on the formula and only the formula. She was lonely and starting to feel stir-crazy, but she also had the entire building to herself, which was a luxury she hadn’t enjoyed since coming to Rydaria.

The men were intense and attentive, but she knew their patience had an expiration date. If she didn’t produce results soon, they would turn up the pressure and every female on Rydaria knew what that meant.

If Elias had still been village alpha, she wouldn’t have considered helping the wolves. But Alex was different. He could be harsh, even ruthless at times, but he was also willing to compromise. The more time she spent with him, the more comfortable she became in his presence. She wasn’t sure she could trust him, yet she was no longer convinced that he was evil incarnate.

Last night had been the most confusing incident yet. Alex and Nate arrived with an elaborate dinner shortly after nightfall. They shared the meal with her and spent hours just talking. They were courting her. That much was obvious. She hadn’t realized that wolf shifters were capable of such patience. She kept waiting for them to touch her, to pressure her for sex, but they were perfect gentlemen.

“I know Nate already told you all my secrets,” Alex began as they moved to the living room to enjoy a glass of berry wine. Alex sat on one end of the sofa, while Nate faced Luna in one of the armchairs. Luna sat on the sofa, but kept as much room between her and Alex as possible. “It’s your turn to share. Where did you grow up and what led you to Nuevo Biotech?”

Luna tensed, debating what to tell them. So much of her past was unpleasant and little was gained by reopening old wounds.

“Did it help you to hear about my life?” Challenge rippled through Alex’s deep tone. “We can’t change the past, but we can’t ignore it either. We’re shaped by our past, whether we like it or not.”

He was right. They were trying to decide if they could trust each other. And accurate information was crucial for any decision. She braced for the emotional deluge that was sure to follow, then began, “I was born in Vancouver to utterly useless parents.”

“By useless do you mean abusive?” Nate wanted to know.

“They never hit me, but they could both be incredibly cruel. Their violent fights were with each other. For me and my brother, it was open derision and profane criticism. You can only be told you’re a fucking idiot so many times before you start believing it’s true.”

Alex scooted closer and rested his arm along the back of the sofa. He didn’t touch her, just surrounded her with his strength. “How bad did it get?”

“Bad,” she admitted. “It’s hard to feel safe when you live in a warzone.”

Alex growled low in his throat as he moved his arm to her shoulders. He drew her close against his side and gazed deep into her eyes. “No child should ever feel unsafe. No female either.”

Warmth pervaded her being, but it wasn’t the incendiary flare of passion she’d experienced with these males before. This heat simmered and spread, soothing her in a way she’d never experienced before. She greedily soaked in the comfort but said nothing.

“Did you stay in Canada?” Alex asked a few minutes later. One corner of his mouth tipped up in a faint smile. “You look more like L.A.”

Luna’s lips curved but didn’t part. She couldn’t help it. Alex’s perceptiveness surprised her almost as much as the care with which he embraced her. “L.A. came later. My parents separated then got back together only to separate again. They did it repeatedly until I was thirteen. Their divorce was bitter, but mercifully permanent. Dad had sobered up by then while Mom was still a mess, so the courts gave him custody of me and my little brother.”

“Where is your brother now?” Nate asked in between sips of wine.

“He lives in Portland with his girlfriend of many years,” she explained. “He has done well despite our rocky start.”

“Back to your rocky start,” Alex prompted. “What happened after the divorce?”

She hadn’t expected him to let the story go before she divulged every detail. Still, she avoided thoughts about her past for a reason. “Dad moved us to Seattle and Mom overdosed.” Long-buried pain throbbed to life within her soul. Her mother had been deeply flawed, but she was the only person who ever showed Luna affection. Her father had been cold and remote, so losing her mother had devastated Luna. “I think Mom did it intentionally because she felt abandoned.”

Alex scooped her up and placed her on his lap. Their faces were on a level now and he captured her gaze with his. “Even if that’s true, it has nothing to do with you. You were a child at the time, and the adults in your life failed you.”

“I was thirteen, but I hadn’t felt like a child for years.” She lowered her gaze to her hands, feeling exposed and vulnerable. “While they were lost in addiction, I not only took care of myself, I took care of my little brother.”