Marked by Aline Hunter Page A

was to come.
    He didn’t shower, wanting to carry her scent for as long as
possible. He collected a pair of sweats from a drawer before leaving the
bedroom. It was early, meaning he had just enough time to make important phone
calls before he prepared breakfast for his female. It was the duty of a male to
see to his woman after their mating. He’d feed her, pamper her and show her how
important she was. He didn’t want anything interfering with the bonding that
would soon occur. Now that the instincts of the wolf had taken root inside
Chloe she’d need to be close to him. It was his responsibility to explain this
new life to her. He alone would ease any fears she might have.
    After he retrieved the phone from its cradle he quietly
opened the back door and stepped onto the patio. Frost coated the grass,
shimmering beads prismatic as a new day stirred to life. He dialed Declan’s
number and bit back a chuckle when his Beta answered on the second ring.
    “It’s about fucking time.”
    “You didn’t wait up for me, did you?”
    “Don’t even go there,” Declan grumbled. “You owe me.”
    “How so?”
    “Simone saw you leave. She started asking questions.”
    His elated mood took a nosedive.
    Simone.
    The pushy female had been trying to talk Jackson into a
mating to strengthen the pack for weeks. Her family was well-respected, their
bloodlines going back hundreds of years. Although he’d told her he wasn’t
interested, she hadn’t taken no for an answer.
    “What did she want?”
    “What do you think?” Declan released an annoyed snort. “That
bitch wants you and she’s not going to let you brush her off.”
    “How did you handle the situation?” If Simone suspected
anything about Chloe, he’d be forced to rethink things. The female had a thirst
for power that refused to be quenched.
    “I managed to talk her into coloring some of her sleeve and
took a break midway through to prevent an interrogation. She didn’t question me
but I think she suspected something. You should probably take your female
somewhere else for a few days.” Declan took a deep breath and said, “Unless
you’re ready to introduce her to the pack.”
    Raking his fingers through his hair, Jackson answered, “She
doesn’t understand what’s happening to her. The moon heat was riding her too
hard. I didn’t have time to explain.”
    “Then I’d suggest talking fast. If the pack finds out about
her from anyone but you they’ll feel betrayed. You can’t fuck with their trust
on this. If you act like you have something to hide they’ll think your mate
isn’t strong enough to guide the pack.”
    Tell me something I don’t know. “I’m aware of that.”
    “So what are you going to do?”
    Excellent question. He’d planned on preparing Chloe’s first
meal as his mate, running a bath for her to soak in and lavishing gentle
affection on her all morning. That idea was crumbling to ash, taken without his
consent.
    Fuck, it pissed him off. Goddamn Simone pissed him
off.
    “Chloe doesn’t know about her lineage,” he said slowly,
thinking ahead. “I need to find out what I’m dealing with. I need answers.”
    “I’m listening.”
    Time to balls-up. “I’m sure you noticed who she looks
like.”
    Declan hesitated before he replied, “I noticed.”
    “I need you to find out what Gavin was up to a couple of
decades ago. Everyone knows he chased pussy after he and Desiree mated. I
wouldn’t be surprised if he got a human pregnant and decided to keep it
secret.”
    If Gavin had gotten a human pregnant, Desiree would have had
her competition destroyed. She wouldn’t take the risk of another bitch carrying
a pup of her Alpha’s. It was too dangerous. In fact, if the baby was a boy
there would have been a good chance Gavin would renounce Desiree and claim the
female who’d given him a son as his mate. Regardless of the problems it would
have caused.
    “Makes sense,” Declan mused. “If he cared for the woman he
wouldn’t