Control

Lake

Derrick pulls me into his arms as soon as I withdraw my fangs from Sylas. His blood drips down my chin, making a mess of my dress, but my body has finally stopped attacking itself.

Tension hovers in the air, so thick I could cut it with a knife.

Sylas licks my saliva and his blood from his wrist, then smirks at the sight of Derrick’s glare. Lynne stirs within me, not liking how this stranger is disrespecting our mate.

I’m dazed, unsure what to think, how to react. Derrick’s blood is nowhere near as sweet and potent as Sylas’s.

“What ~are~ you?” I ask right out.

Before Sylas can respond, a booming voice echoes behind us.

“What’s going on out here?”

We all turn to see a large male striding down the stairs. His salt-and-pepper hair and the wrinkles around his eyes suggest he’s been around for a while.

Then I get a whiff of his scent.

~Alpha.~

“Alpha, these two are the rogues we told you about.” Franklin gestures to me and Derrick. “Sylas was just showing them around and...well...you know how mated males get.”

I’m surprised by Frank’s boldness with his Alpha. Pack members usually avoid eye contact with their superiors. This Alpha has the power to subdue anyone in his vicinity—I can feel his radiating power from here.

“Come now, boys.” The Alpha laughs. “It’s a party tonight. Don’t fight over this little female.”

I bristle. ~Little female?~

“Apologies, Alpha.” Sylas bows slightly. “This female is one of my blood, and she hasn’t been fed in well over four months.”

I raise an eyebrow at his words. ~His~ blood? What the hell is this guy talking about?

“You say that as if she was one of you. She smells like a wolf to me,” the Alpha states.

My eyes grow wide. “You’re a vampyre?”

Sylas nods. “In the flesh, Kjarni.”

Derrick growls. His grip on me tightens more as Sylas rolls his eyes. These two definitely don’t get along.

“Enough!” the Alpha growls. “You two are not to fight in my presence, and especially not in the presence of your mate, young man!”

Derrick huffs with anger before burying his face in my neck. His favorite way to calm down, and my least favorite position to be in while in front of everyone. Sylas watches me, a myriad of emotions flashing in his eyes.

“Sylas, you come with us. These two need a minute.” Fred pulls Sylas away.

“You’re mine,” Derrick whispers against my skin. “You only need me.”

I tap his shoulder. “Derrick, I can’t breathe.”

This man’s grip on my rib cage is going to be the death of me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need to breathe very often, but I’ve been holding my breath for the past ten minutes while in front of Sylas. His scent is overwhelming.

“Derrick, let go. I can’t breathe.” I push my mate off me. This is totally unlike him. The Derrick I know doesn’t get jealous and territorial.

My mate’s eyes are dark with desire and lust. His breath is uneven, his hair disheveled.

“Goddess only knows the things I would do to you if we were alone,” he whispers. “That...~cat~ in human skin makes me want to stake my claim on you all over again.”

“Derrick, we don’t have time for—”

He silences my words with a kiss. His hands cradle my cheeks so gently, yet with so much force hidden behind them. My body molds into his with ease, my skin tingling as Derrick bites my lip and pulls away.

“We need to go inside. While I still have a shred of control.”

~Maybe I want you to lose control,~ is what I want to say. But I reluctantly hold my tongue and fix my dress.

My body is still begging to be taken by my mate. Will this night never end?

***

“Ah! The troublemaker and his female return!”

The alpha claps his large hands together and smiles. He’s sitting in a large wooden chair that reminds me of the one Gaston has in ~Beauty and the Beast.~

Two young female omegas sit at his feet. They’re practically nude and smile devilishly as their eyes rake over my mate.

I look away, surveying the room. Something about this man...this house...everything is so familiar. But why?

“I apologize for my behavior in your territory, Alpha.” Derrick puts his hand on the small of my back. “Lake is my life, and seeing her like that with another male puts my wolf on edge.”

“Oh, don’t sweat it, kid.” The Alpha looks me up and down, his expression intent. “So, she’s a hybrid?”

“Yes, I am, Alpha,” I answer. This dipshit is obviously stuck in the “females are property” mindset.

“You smell of someone I once knew, she-wolf.” The Alpha sets his large beer down on a table and stands. His two obedient omegas rise as well, and he wraps both arms around their tiny frames. Definitely found the sluts of the pack.

“Oh?” I ask, slightly taken aback.

“Yes, most definitely.” He inhales deeply, taking in my scent, and his face darkens. “It can’t be.”

The Alpha stalks over to me. Derrick places himself between us as a caution.

“Alpha Mavris, I don’t think you should—”

I glance at him, startled. “Did you say ~Mavris~?”

And then I put the pieces together.

This man has the same green eyes as my mother.

The Alpha’s lips lift in an unnerving smile. “Well, I’ll be damned. It’s been a long time since my granddaughter last visited.”