Third Rank Penn Lake Wolves Book Three (3 page)

She was so hot for him and knew
the supernatural pull was making her feel this way, but she still had a job to
do. She had to get Marcus one of the brothers and save herself. She hoped, in
the years to come, she could ask for Brandon’s forgiveness and he would find a
place for her in his heart again. Brandon drew back and looked down at her.

‘You okay? It felt like you
disconnected for a moment there.’ She was still wrapped up in his strong arms,
loving the feel of his warmth against her.

‘Sorry,’ she replied. ‘It’s just
that, after everything that’s happened, I feel bad for wanting you as much as I
do.’ She dropped her eyes from his, as if he would see straight through her
lies.

‘Hey, it’s okay, Maggie,’ Brandon
replied. ‘I want you so much, but I can control my urges. I know you’re not
ready, but I hope you will tell me when you are. I hope you will learn to feel for
me the way I feel about you. I’ll wait forever for you.’ He kissed her lips
again so tenderly that she couldn’t help the fresh tears that spilt over.

‘I just want this to all be over.
I just want my life back…’

‘I know, my angel. I know.’ He
wrapped her in another one of his warm and comforting hugs. His angel. That’s
what he had called her. Little did he know she was as far from an angel as she
could get. ‘We are heading off in a few days to where you were camping to see
if we have any fresh leads,’ Brandon continued. ‘Seth and I will take the camp
and the two-mile perimeter, while Logan and Dad will take the radius out
another couple of miles. There has to be something left. If it was a rogue wolf,
then he will need to pay for his crimes. No one will ever hurt you again. I
promise.’

‘I wish you were right, Brandon. I
wish I could stay here forever with you.’ Maggie knew she had to make the call
to Marcus about the search party before Greg told him. He would surely come for
her for not doing her job properly.

‘I’ll never let you go, Maggie. I’ll
protect you till my heart stops beating.’ Brandon kissed her again before
opening the front door and watching her walk away. ‘Will you come over to my
place tomorrow? We can watch a movie and I’ll make dinner. I can’t cook much
apart from pasta and sauce, but I promise it’ll be the best you’ve tasted.’ His
smile lit up his whole face. How could she refuse when she knew the time they
had together was coming to an end? She would cherish what time she had with him
whilst it lasted.

‘I’d love to,’ Maggie smiled back
at him. He stepped back and waved goodbye from the porch.

‘Close the door, my angel, and
I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Maggie did as he asked, but still
watched him through the glass panel. Her heart was beating so fast she thought
it might explode. She had a call to make to Marcus, then she was going to cry
herself to sleep and think of a way to free herself without sacrificing this family.

When she could no longer see
Brandon through the glass, she walked to her room and took out the mobile
Marcus had given her. His number was the only contact on there and she hit the
call button. She waited for him to answer.

Chapter Four

Marcus sat smiling at his desk,
welcoming the news that that useless bitch had given him. He had given Greg the
instructions to make himself known to Maggie; that way, she’d know he had a
watchful eye over her at all times. If Greg did as he was told, he would be
given her as a prize for making the alpha happy. For now, though, he wanted her
to believe she would be walking free after finishing her task. Stupid bitch! As
if he would keep her all this time, then let her walk away from him. No, he was
going to give her to that spineless, snivelling wolf for all his loyalty. If he
didn’t break his neck first.

He found Greg to be of some use
to him, but he didn’t have the backbone his son now seemed to possess. Although
it had pissed him off greatly to be locked down in the dungeon whilst his precious
Callie had got away from him, he was pleased that Colt had finally stood up to
him and showed him the alpha he could be. Now, he just had to find the stupid
boy and bring him home. Some harsh lessons were going to be administered for
going against Marcus’s wishes; but, in the end, Colt would stand by him when
the Penn Lake pack fell to their knees, and fall they would.

The news that three of the
brothers and the old alpha were going hunting in the next few days filled him with
glee. He needed to get them back here and make the trade for Callie. That bitch
was going to breed him the heirs he needed if it was the last thing she did. Nothing
would stand in his way and he would kill anyone who tried to stop him making
his pack the strongest ever.

Chapter Five

The next day was bright and sunny,
but it didn’t reflect Maggie’s mood at all. She wanted to bury her head under
the duvet and stay there forever, but the knock at her door forced her to get
up and go answer it. Hope was standing there with a huge smile on her face and
was peering over her shoulder into her room.

‘Damn it, Maggie! I thought
Brandon was the only brother who wouldn’t leave at the crack of dawn and bail
out on his date.’ She was still looking over Maggie’s shoulder, trying to see
in her room. The old pyjama bottoms and tank top should have been a giveaway,
as they were hardly a seductive outfit for the morning after – not that Maggie
knew what to wear on the morning after, seeing as she had never had one. She
opened her door and invited Hope into her room.

‘Brandon was the perfect
gentleman,’ she said. ‘Walked me home, made sure I got in okay and left.’ She
sat on her bed and motioned for Hope to do the same. Hope was like a big puppy,
Maggie often thought. She was so full of life and bounding with endless energy.
Her mate would have to be one strong wolf to keep her under wraps.

‘Really? My brother is that boring.
Maybe I read the signs wrong. Maybe he’s gay?’ She laughed at Maggie’s blush. ‘Or
maybe he didn’t want his sister catching him sneaking out the window!’ She
winked at Maggie.

‘Nope, no sneaking at all,’
replied Maggie. ‘As I said, the perfect gentleman. There may have been a few
kisses and some light fumbling, but he said he wanted to give me time. He is
cooking for me tonight at his house, so hopefully we can talk some more then.’
Maggie was shy telling Hope all about what went on the previous night, but she
really needed to talk to someone before she made a fool of herself.

‘Yuk,’ said Hope laughing. ‘I
don’t really need to hear all about the touchy feely stuff with my brother, but
glad he’s finally making his move. He’s been playing it safe for too many years
now and I know you’ll make him the perfect mate. However, I do warn you, if
Brandon is cooking then it’s probably safer to eat before you go. Computers he
can fix, but dinner not so much.’ Maggie laughed at Hope’s joke. At least, she
hoped she was joking.

‘Hope, can I talk to you about
something? It’s kind of embarrassing, but I need some girl advice.’ Maggie knew
she was blushing, but she didn’t have anyone else to talk to about this stuff,
and the little she did know was from the books her mum had brought her to read.
She knew Brandon would be a gentle lover, not rough like the other wolves from
Marcus’s pack when she listened through the door.

‘Not sure I can give you the down
and dirty on my brother, because that’s just gross,’ replied Hope. ‘But I can
tell you that, if this is your first time, you should talk to Callie. She was a
virgin when she met Logan, but somehow that big, dim-witted brother of mine got
her to mate with him. Brandon won’t care if you’ve never been with anyone before.
In fact, all the better. Plus, Mum would kill him if he didn’t treat you right.’
Hope had lessened her anxiety a little, but she knew she would feel better if
she could find some time to speak to Callie.

‘Can I borrow your phone to call
Callie?’ asked Maggie. ‘I’ll see if she is free today. I know everyone is
taking the day off today and the shop isn’t open, but I don’t want to get
between her and Logan if they have plans.’

‘The only plan he has is getting
her knocked up before she realises what a horrid mistake she’s made in mating
him,’ replied Hope. ‘He was a pig to her when they first met, but seems to me
that she has forgiven him far too quickly. I would have made him pay.’ She
smiled at Maggie. ‘Plus, you don’t have to ask, honey, to borrow the phone. My
home is your home.’ Hope squeezed Maggie’s shoulder and walked from the room.

Maggie sat on her bed for a while
longer and decided she wouldn’t talk to Callie first, as the whole of Penn Lake
Island didn’t need to know she planned to sleep with Brandon, or her lack of
experience. Plus, she knew Brandon was a private person and didn’t want him to
think she was going behind his back. That caused her to snort out loud, as
wasn’t that exactly what she was doing with Marcus? Reminding herself it was
for her own survival, she decided to get showered and dressed and go for a walk
to clear her head. Her whole body was aching to be near Brandon, hoping he
would touch her as he had done the night before, and she decided that she was
going to give him everything she had and more to let him know she belonged to
him. Then, maybe, he would help her get out of this mess she was in.

It was half past six and the walk
had helped her get her thoughts into order, but now she was stressing about
walking over to Brandon’s house to spend the evening with him. She didn’t know
whether to pack a bag, but decided against it as she didn’t want to appear too
forward. She gave herself a once over in the mirror and decided she was ready. It
was time to walk into the wolf’s den and stop worrying about her life, just for
tonight.

Maggie arrived at Brandon’s door
and knocked softly. She could hear him moving about, then quick footsteps
coming towards her. When he opened the door wearing only his jeans and nothing
else, she was sure she had drool dripping down her chin at the sight of him.

‘Shit. Sorry. Come in.’ Brandon
was clearly flustered by her early arrival. ‘Sorry, I was hoping to have it all
done before you got here.’ He motioned for her to come in, but her feet just
wouldn’t move her forward. His chest was huge with a clearly defined six-pack
and dark hair that travelled down his body, only to disappear below his jeans. She
didn’t mean to lick her lips, but the sight before her had made her mouth go
drier than the desert. ‘I don’t think I’ve been given such a thorough once over
before!’

Maggie realised her eyes had
travelled down his body and had lingered at the top of his jeans. His laughter
snapped her out of her lust-filled haze and her eyes met his.

‘Sorry,’ she said breathlessly. ‘It’s
just that, when you open the door looking like that... Well... I mean... I’m
early. Do you want me to come back?’ Great, now she couldn’t speak. She rubbed
her palms down her dress and she could feel her own heat coming off her in
waves of embarrassment.

‘No, it’s fine,’ replied Brandon,
smiling. ‘But I really would like for you to come in. That way, I can go grab a
top and finish dinner.’

‘Right. Yes. Sorry.’ Maggie
finally got her legs to work and she edged passed him into his small hallway. Her
whole body was tingling with anticipation and she was pretty sure she was going
to be a heap on the floor at any moment. ‘You really don’t have to get dressed
on my account.’ Was that
really
her voice? Since when had she become
Miss Confident? Brandon laughed at her comment and placed his hand on her lower
back in order to guide her down the hall to the kitchen area.

‘I think it’s for the best. Although,
it might distract you from the wreck that is dinner.’ Once they entered the
kitchen, Maggie couldn’t believe the scene that greeted her. There were pots
and dishes everywhere, and the man clearly liked to use a lot of dishes.

‘Oh my god, what is that smell?’ As
soon as she had said it, Maggie put her hand over her mouth in embarrassment,
not meaning for her thoughts to come out.

‘Shit!’ Brandon leapt in front of
her and grabbed a boiling concoction off the stove. ‘That would be the pasta. It’s
supposed to be black, right?’ Whatever was lurking at the bottom of the pan
didn’t look like any pasta she had ever eaten. It looked like it was well and
truly stuck in there when he turned the pan upside down to drain. ‘Fuck... I’m
sorry, Maggie,’ continued Brandon. ‘I wanted everything to be perfect for
tonight. Who can’t cook pasta?’ He dumped the pan in the sink and turned to her,
looking very sheepish.

‘Well, you obviously can’t!’
Maggie chuckled, hoping she hadn’t offended him. ‘It’s okay, Brandon. Food was
pretty much the last thing on my mind, anyway. Plus, Hope did warn me to eat
before I came.’ She walked towards him and cupped his cheek in her palm. ‘It’s
the thought that counts, right?’

In an instant, his hands fell to
her waist and he pulled her flush against his body.
Yes
, she thought,
this
is going to be a perfect night
.

Brandon couldn’t believe he had
screwed up dinner, especially as his mum had showed him the simple dish at hers
that afternoon. But then, who cared when he had Maggie in his arms, pressed
against him? He had wanted to take it slow tonight and talk things through, but
he couldn’t think straight when her breasts were pushed against him and her
hand was stroking his cheek. He let one hand wander up her back and the other
he moved behind her head so he could pull her closer for a kiss. He had been
thinking about kissing Maggie all day and even had to take himself in his own
hand in the shower just to make his hard-on go down. She was so beautiful she
took his breath away. The thought that she was the one person made just for him
caused his body to stand to attention right away.

‘Maggie, I wanted to go slow with
you tonight, but I can’t think when you’re like this against me. I want to kiss
you so bad right now.’

‘Yes, Brandon, please. I don’t
want you to go slow. I want you to show me how you feel. Make me feel loved.’
Maggie couldn’t believe she had brought up the ‘L’ word and hoped he didn’t run
scared. However, it had the opposite effect on him.

Brandon swooped down and took her
mouth in his instantly, pressing his tongue against her mouth to gain entry. He
felt her go limp in his arms, so he pulled her closer to his body. Her soft,
curvy body against his hard form was a perfect fit. Her little moans brought
his wolf to the surface and he couldn’t help the growl that escaped. He needn’t
have worried that he would scare her, as she seemed to cling to him more. He
reluctantly pulled away from the kiss, but didn’t let go of her body.

‘I need to know you’re okay with
this,’ he said. ‘I wanted to wait for you to be ready.’ Brandon softly kissed
her lips once more before she answered.

‘I’m more than ready, Brandon. I’ve
been ready for a while, but wanted you to be sure it was really me you wanted. I’m
not a nice person, Brandon. I could hurt you so much…’ Brandon wondered why she
thought of herself like that, but he was going to show her exactly how he felt.
She was so right for him and the only way she could hurt him now was by walking
away.

‘I don’t want to scare you,
Maggie. But I want you so much, my angel. I know for humans it takes a while to
trust and love, but my wolf and me are so much in love with you that the only
way you would hurt me is by walking through that door and never coming back. It’s
instinctual for us once we have found our mates. We do have a choice, but I
would still choose you.’ He stroked his hand down her back, causing goosebumps
to appear under her dress.

‘Then show me,’ she said. ‘I’m
ready to be yours, Brandon. Please…’ With that, she was airborne. Brandon
scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. ‘Where are you taking
me?’

‘I’m not making love to you for
the first time on the kitchen floor. My brothers might have a knack for kinky
places, but your first time needs to be special. I want it to be special.’

Maggie couldn’t help but give in
to the tears stinging her eyes. Brandon was so sweet and thoughtful and she
knew that, once the problem with Marcus was settled, she would stay with him
for the rest of her life, if he would still have her.

She was glad to see that his
bedroom wasn’t in the same mess as his kitchen, but she didn’t have time to
take it all in once he laid her down on the bed. As soon as her back was flat on
the mattress, Brandon was on top of her kissing her again. Maggie kissed him
back with as much passion as he gave her. She felt his hand span her waist and
make its way up her body, until he cupped her breast in his hand, causing her
nipples to pebble against his touch. He stroked his thumb gently over the top
of her dress as she moaned into his mouth and arched her back to get closer to
his touch.

‘I think we need to lose this
dress, angel,’ he breathed. His other hand got busy behind her as he lowered
the zip. He moved away from her and she instantly missed his warmth and weight
against her body. He pulled her up to standing and slipped the shoulders off
her and lowered the dress to the floor until she was standing before him in just
her bra and panties. His eyes turned to amber as he gazed down at her body. ‘You
are so beautiful.’

Then he was kissing her again and
lowered her back on to the bed, his hands frantically trying to remove her bra.
Her nipples felt so hard they ached and, when the cool air touched them, she
could have sworn she heard him growl. Instantly, his mouth was on them, sucking
and teasing them, almost making her come. Maggie pressed against him again as
she moved her hand to the back of his head, urging him on.

‘Please, Brandon,’ she cried out.
‘I need you.’ Those were the words he wanted to hear as he kissed down her ribs,
making sure he didn’t miss a spot. Once he reached the top of her panties, he
paused and slowly pulled them past her hips and down her legs. When she was
completely naked, he stood and started to remove his own jeans. The hard bulge
she saw there gave her the confidence she needed, knowing that she could turn a
man like Brandon on so much.

‘Last chance to back out, angel? I
can see and feel your nerves.’ He towered over her and suddenly she felt self-conscious,
naked and spread out before him.

‘I don’t want to back out. I just
don’t know how to start.’ He heard the trembling in her voice.

‘Then let me show you just how
much I want you. Spread your legs for me, Maggie. I want to make sure you’re
really wet and ready for me before I make love to you.’ She didn’t think she
could get any wetter for him. He grabbed her ankles and pulled her towards him,
then he spread her legs and bent down to kiss the inside of her thighs. He
moved so mind-numbingly slowly that she couldn’t form words.