Scarlet - Alpha Marked, Book I by Celia Kyle Page A

with the upheaval of her life, she turned to the table and
peeked beneath the covers. She set aside the metal domes as plate
after plate of food was revealed. Steaks, salads and sides covered
every inch along with a note indicating dessert could be found on a
shelf below the tabletop. Yum.
    The rustle of cloth told her that the
men had decided to get up, but she kept her gaze averted. One look
at their chiseled bodies and she’d be a goner, her snit forgotten.
She padded toward a small seating area and snagged a chair. The
wolf had placed their meal before a set of club chairs, and she
decided her mates could take those while she remained opposite
them. If she got within touching distance, they’d take control, and
all she’d be able to think about was them claiming her.
    Nope, they had issues to discuss.
Their relationship and then… Whitney. And her cat.
    Not necessarily in that order. Once
they got onto discussing their mating, it’d probably go downhill
and end in bed.
    Right, Whitney first.
    Scarlet settled into her
straight-backed seat and waited, noting the pause in the rustle
coming from behind her, but her wolves soon appeared.
    Both men shot her longing looks but
eased into their chairs. She noted they wore boxers. Well, at least
she’d only be tempted by their chests.
    “ Um…” Madden cleared his
throat.
    Scarlet cut into her steak.
Medium-rare. Perfect.
    “ Uh…” Keller looked so
uncomfortable. Poor guy.
    She popped a hunk of beef into her
mouth and moaned around the bite. It melted like butter over her
tongue. A glance from beneath her lashes showed that both of her
mates’ gazes were intent on her mouth.
    “ So, you’re, uh, an
administrative assistant? How long have you been doing that?”
Madden’s voice was strangled, as if he could barely
breathe.
    “ Since college.” She
shrugged. “I’ll be honest, I was pissed you guys haven’t even
stopped to get to know me. I mean, I know we’re mates. I get it.
But I don’t even know your middle names or favorite color. Where do
you live? When were you going to tell me you’re the Ruling Alphas?”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Being Marked is… It’s
hard. I’ve had this thing since I was born, and it meant my life
was always in limbo. I went to college, but I rushed because I
wasn’t sure when I’d meet my mates and even if they’d let me finish
and get my degree. I didn’t know when I’d have to move. Where I’d
have to go.”
    She sought to calm her
ragged nerves. “I’ve lived for thirty years, waiting for the other
shoe to drop. Gabby is the same way, but at least her job allows
her to telecommute. Plus, there was the fear of dealing with two
men, two wolves, for the rest of my life. I never went looking for
my mates simply because I was scared. I wasn’t looking forward to
mating. Why do you think I’ve never attended a Gathering? And don’t
get me started on Whitney. Your witches got her all wrong.”
    Keller frowned. “I never realized. I
mean, we never actually thought about what it’d be like for the
women.” He shook his head. “Your life had to be a shade of hell,
Scarlet.”
    She shrugged, unwilling to wallow in
her pity party. “No worse than any other Marked’s I suppose. It
sucks, but it is what it is.”
    Madden piped up. “No, it doesn’t have
to be. The urge to mate is intense, I admit that, but we can work
together to make the transition easier.”
    Scarlet held up her hand. “No, it’s
not horrible. When I met you, the Mark woke and let me know you
belonged to me. By dinner,” she blushed, heat surging to her
cheeks, “I was, uh, ready to cement things. But encouraging wolves
to be a little understanding would probably help things when it
came to your mates. I’m not saying everyone’s life is like mine.
Hell, there are probably plenty of women who are eager to abandon
everything in a blink for their mates. And then there are others
who will have a hard time.”
    She thought of