Page 47 of In the Mouth of the Wolf (Of Wolves and Kings #1)

47

MARLOWE

I woke up on Tuesday morning feeling like a kid on Christmas. It had been a little over two days since both Nolan and Archer had bonded with me, so I had taken them outside to explain how I shifted.

They had followed my instructions, but nothing happened.

We had worked all day, and I had tried everything I could think of, but even my own wolf hadn’t felt like making an appearance.

By Wednesday, life got in the way, and learning how to shift went to the back burner as my pack went back to work. We had neglected our careers ever since I showed up and couldn’t ignore our professional responsibilities any longer.

For my own job, since I wasn’t moving back to San Francisco, it was clear that the best thing to do for them and me was to quit, and I regretfully put in my two weeks. They were allowing me to work that time remotely, thankfully, but I could tell my boss had already written me off and wasn’t expecting much.

My job had always given me a great sense of fulfillment, and it hurt to not have that anymore. But for now, I needed to concentrate on literally keeping myself unkidnapped, and unfortunately, that took a lot of effort.

And since the guys had unilaterally decided I couldn’t stay home alone while they were gone, we had developed a rotating schedule of “Take Your Omega to Work Day,” and Cam declared he got to go first. Especially since Wolfcrest Construction was technically also my company.

I knew he was still upset we hadn’t bonded yet, and on top of that, he wanted to play it cool in front of his team. But beneath the grumpy exterior, I could tell he was excited to introduce me to everyone.

He waited by the front door impatiently, two travel mugs full of coffee in his hands as he yelled at me to hurry up.

I wore the only nice outfit I had brought with me – an ivory, loose knit turtleneck, a blue and green tartan A-line mini skirt, espresso-colored tights and brown knee-high boots. My hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and I had even put on a little make-up.

“Coming!” I replied, running down the stairs.

Cam bit his lip and held his breath for a moment, and then exhaled in defeat. “Dammit, you look cute. Come on, let’s go.”

I grabbed my coffee and reached up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. He had trimmed his beard, and I took a deep whiff of his cardamom and cedar scent as I lowered myself back down. He was dressed similarly to the way he was every day, in jeans, a flannel over a henley shirt, and a Carhartt jacket with work boots.

“Mm, you look pretty good yourself, hot stuff.”

A hint of a smile grew on his face, and he took a step closer to me, our chests touching. “This is either going to be the best day I’ve had at work or the hardest.”

My hand grazed along the erection growing in his pants. “My bet’s on the hardest.”

He groaned and closed his eyes. “The CFO brings donuts every Wednesday,” he whispered.

I backed up and slapped him lightly on the arm. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner? All the good flavors are going to be gone!”

Cam chuckled and followed after me as I went out the door, getting into his truck.

I was expecting to pull into one of the cookie-cutter office buildings in the business district on the outskirts of town, but considering how nice Cam’s house was, I should have known better.

The headquarters were a striking fusion of prairie-style architecture and modern corporate design. Low, horizontal lines stretched into the landscape and blended into the environment, with wide overhanging eaves. Large windows, framed by sleek stone columns, allowed plenty of light to flood the lobby, already bustling with activity.

Cam helped me out of the truck, parked up front in one of two owner’s spaces, of course, and beamed at my reaction. “Nice, isn’t it? We built this six years ago. It was the last major project our dads worked on with me before they started to step back.”

I wondered what working with my dad might have been like, and my chest ached with loss. It felt silly, but I was jealous that Cam knew him better than I did. Had gotten to look up to him as a kind of second father. “It’s still so strange to hear you talk about him,” I replied quietly. “Sometimes it feels like you’re his kid more than I am.”

Cam sighed, wrapping an arm around my waist and tugging me into his side. “Nah, if I was James’s kid, that would mean I’m fucking my sister.”

My grief evaporated into the cold air and I burst out laughing. “How is it that that’s the first place your mind went?”

He leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Because I’m always thinking about fucking you, babe.”

My breath snagged, and he pulled me inside, trying and failing to hide the grin on his face. “Alright, let me show you around.”

It was, unfortunately, like the grocery store with Nolan all over again.

Nearly everyone stopped and greeted Cam, and he attempted to nonchalantly introduce me as his omega and the late business owner’s daughter. I was happy I recognized a few people from the temple and even remembered their names.

After grabbing two of the remaining glazed donuts, we headed into Cam’s office. A stone accent wall on the far end of the room blended with the earthy tones of the space, and the large window behind his smooth, mahogany desk overlooked a copse of trees.

He sat down and turned on his computer, and I couldn’t stop the giggle bubbling through. He seemed so competent and corporate. A regular Don Draper in Danner boots.

He arched an eyebrow and looked at me. “What’s so funny?”

“This,” I said, pointing at him. “I don’t know, I never pictured you behind a desk in a nice office when you said you worked in construction.”

He scratched his head. “How did you picture me?”

I shrugged, reading the various awards the company had received that were sitting on his bookshelf. “You know, with a hard hat on and stuff.”

That idea conjured up some very sexy images of my rough and tumble alpha.

Cam chuckled, gesturing to the snowy landscape behind him. “Babe, it’s winter. Not exactly peak construction time here.”

I crossed my arms and sighed. “Yeah, I get that. It’s still weird though.”

My laptop was heavy in my bag, and I really didn’t feel like getting started on my own work yet. I sauntered behind the desk and scooted myself onto his lap. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

His hand moved up my sweater and under my bra, and he massaged my breast while he looked through some kind of blueprints. “Hm, I have a meeting at 10 with some of the directors,” he replied calmly, eyes still glued to his screen. He pinched my nipple and kept working.

I glanced at the clock – it was only 8:45. “I’m feeling far too wound up to concentrate, how about you?”

Cam pinched my nipple again. “As I said earlier, all I think about is fucking you, so I’ve had to become a master multitasker. Otherwise, I’d never get anything done.”

I rubbed my ass along his growing erection. “Well, my pussy definitely needs to get done. Any chance you can prioritize that?”

His other hand left the mouse and slid underneath my skirt. With the tights and underwear, there wasn’t much room, but the extra friction set my nerves on fire. “Always,” he whispered in my ear.

His fingers were efficient, rubbing my clit and pushing inside me. I ground against him, feeling my climax build quickly. I bit my lip as I came, holding in my moans as best I could. Once my muscles relaxed, he swiped his keyboard out of the way and lifted me off his lap, bending me over the desk.

I grinned to myself and wiggled in anticipation as Cam pulled my skirt up and my underwear and tights down, removing himself from his jeans and filling me completely in one fell swoop.

I think I might have a thing for fucking in offices.

“Babe,” Cam said, one hand braced on the desk and the other gripping my hip. “You feel so good, like a fucking dream.”

His thrusting was hard and slow, building in tempo as we raced towards our orgasms.

But it was too soon and I needed more. My whine said it for me, and he pulled out, sitting in his chair and turning me around so I could climb on top of him and control the pace.

“That’s it,” he said. “I’m here for you. Take what you need.”

My hips rolled and circled on his cock, his knot stimulating my clit and building my release once more. When I got too close, I’d change my rhythm, prolonging the pleasure.

I took my sweater off, and Cam licked the skin in front of him, his large, calloused hands firmly grasping my ass to keep me from falling.

Next was my bra, and when his lips soon found their way to my nipple, I couldn’t slow down my climax any longer.

“Bond with me, Cam,” I whimpered. “I can’t wait any more.”

“Me neither.”

I came and slammed down over his knot, feeling him throb and come inside me. His teeth latched onto my breast, and a pained gasp escaped my lips.

My pack.

My whole pack, connected through me, like I was the thread that held us all together. All their thoughts, their feelings, their emotions… it was beautiful.

The orgasms didn’t stop, his cock emptying inside me entirely. I fell forward into his chest, panting heavily into his ear. “I love you.”

He wrapped his arms and pulled tighter. “I love you, too.”

O nce his knot deflated and we cleaned up, he grabbed a pen and a pad of paper off his desk. “I have that meeting right now, so go ahead and get settled. It might last ‘til lunch. I’ll have my secretary pop by in thirty minutes or so to see how you’re doing. Let her know if you need anything.”

Hearing about a secretary triggered some ugly emotions, especially after what we’d just been doing. “What does your secretary look like?” I asked. “I need to be prepared so I don’t accidentally claw the girl’s eyes out.”

Like poor Megan. I was not looking forward to going to City Hall again with Nolan.

Cam snorted. “Her name’s Patricia and she’s almost sixty. I think you’ll be fine. See you in a bit, babe.”

After a quick peck on the lips he left, closing the door behind him, leaving behind his intoxicating cardamom and cedar scent.

I sat in his chair and set up my laptop so I could finally start wrapping up my own work. I still felt guilty with how I was leaving things, especially so close to the holidays. They wouldn’t be able to hire anyone to replace me for at least another month or so.

Around 240 emails were waiting in my inbox, and I methodically went to task, wondering if maybe giving them a large donation would clear my conscience.

The knock at the door came sooner than I thought, and before I could answer someone came barreling in. “About time you actually showed your face…” An alpha I didn’t know saw me and stopped in his tracks. “Who the hell are you?”

I scoffed. “I could ask you the same question.”

The male in front of me looked a little younger than Cam and my pack, closer to my age. But typical of his designation, he was tall, with broad shoulders and a large chest that his thermal crew showed every line of in excruciating detail. His olive-toned skin was tanned, a hint of a beard shadowed along his square jaw. His black hair was cut short, but curled slightly along his forehead, ears, and the back of his neck.

His dark brown eyes were piercing and calculating as he tried to figure me out. The scent of eucalyptus and lemon finally hit me, reminding me of California. It comforted me for a moment and I adjusted in my chair.

My scent must have finally reached him, because suddenly his eyes darkened and his nostrils flared.

Then he threw his head back and laughed.

Okay, this guy was definitely rubbing me the wrong way, despite the way he smelled. “Care to let me know what’s so funny?” I asked.

The male smiled and shook his head condescendingly. “You must be that ‘personal business’ he mentioned. What, did he give you a made-up job with an inflated salary so you guys could fuck here?” He glanced up and down the parts of me he could see. “Not that I blame him.”

“Alright,” I sighed, standing up and pointing to the door. “Leave.”

“Calm down, sweetheart. I need to drop off some cost estimates he asked for. Why don’t you make yourself useful and ask Patricia to show you how the copy machine works? I need three of these.”

He unceremoniously dropped the thick packet on my laptop and I growled in response. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

He pretended to shiver. “Ooh, scary! I’m Julian Ramos. And you are?”

A slow grin spread across my face. “Marlowe.”

“Well, Marlowe, I’d like this done before…”

“But you can call me Ms. Linden,” I said, interrupting him.

His face paled. “Wait, as in…”

I picked up my coffee and took a long sip, draining what was left. “The late founder and owner, James Linden. You know, my father .”

We stood in silence, staring each other down, until he finally lowered his eyes. “Fuck.”

My wolf seemed a little baffled at the alpha’s submission, but the female sick of misogynistic shit was practically howling. “Yeah, ‘fuck’ indeed. So, Julian, how about instead of asking me to make you copies, you go downstairs and get me another coffee. Lots of cream and sugar, please.” I set the empty travel mug on the desk and gestured to it while I went back to work. “That will be all,” I said in a dismissive tone, channeling my best Miranda Priestly.

He grabbed the mug and stomped out, slamming the door behind him. Okay, maybe not the best idea to start making enemies, but that dude was a dick and deserved to get knocked down a peg or two, even if my dad was the only reason I had any sort of power here.

At least I’d wield it responsibly.