Page 4 of The Careless Alpha

"About what?"

"About us." Her hand landed on my forearm, fingers tracing the muscle there. "You can't tell me you haven't thought about it. We're both adults, both available."

Available. The word rang strangely in my ears. Was I available? Technically, yes. The mating wouldn't be official until Annalise turned eighteen.

"Annalise is my mate," I said, but the words felt automatic, required rather than heartfelt. Ranger had feelings for Annalise, but even he was guarded given her young age. Those feelings would develop as Annalise got older, and we started to see her as the woman she was yet to become.

"In five years," Scarlett agreed. "But what about now? What about tonight?"

Her scent wrapped around me, familiar and enticing. She was right here, willing and eager, everything a red-blooded male should want. And what was the alternative? Five years of celibacy? Five years of waiting for a child to grow into a woman?

She is OURS,Ranger growled in my mind, the sound a low, possessive rumble.Our mate. The Moon Goddess chose her.

She's thirteen,I argued back, pushing the wolf’s instincts down.She's a child playing dress-up in Luna lessons.

She is still OURS,he repeated, his loyalty absolute.Protect her. Wait for her.

Waiting is for monks, not Alphas,I shot back, the frustration real and raw.

But Scarlett was kissing me now, her lips bold and demanding, and it was easier to lose myself in the immediate pleasure than think about distant obligations. When she pulled back, her smile was triumphant.

"Your place or mine?" she asked.

"Mine." The word was out before I could think about it. Let the pack see that Marshall Kane wasn't waiting around for anyone. Let them remember that I was a grown man with grown man needs. Annalise would understand. I was an alpha male with alpha male needs. I hadn't waited for my mate, so therewas no need for me to stop sating my needs now just because I'd found my little mate. Mom would explain it to her if need be.

An hour later, I was questioning my decision. Scarlett lay beside me in my bed, tracing patterns on my chest with her fingernails, and all I could think about was the look on Annalise's face when Scarlett had called her "little."

"That was incredible," Scarlett murmured. "We should do this more often."

"Maybe," I said, but my mind was elsewhere. Had Annalise made it back to the house safely? Had she eaten dinner? Did she understand that this didn't change anything between us?

A soft knock on my door made both of us freeze.

"Marshall?" Annalise's voice was muffled through the wood. "I brought you some dessert. Luna Etta made apple pie."

Scarlett's grin was wicked. "Aren't you going to invite her in?"

"No," I said quickly. "Annalise, I'm busy. Leave it outside the door." I’m not sure what I was trying to achieve. All wolves had enhanced senses, so even without seeing her, Annalise knew Scarlett was in my room with me.

Silence. Then, quietly, "Okay. Good night, Marshall."

Her footsteps retreated down the hall, and I felt like the world's biggest bastard. But what was I supposed to do? Open the door and traumatize a thirteen-year-old? Explain why her mate was naked in bed with another woman?

"She'll learn," Scarlett said, settling back against my pillows like she owned them. "They always do."

I wasn't sure if she was talking about pack hierarchy or something darker, and I didn't ask.

The next morning, I found Jackson waiting for me in the kitchen, two cups of coffee steaming on the counter and a scowl on his face that could have curdled milk.

"We need to talk," my best friend and future Beta said without preamble.

"Good morning to you, too," I muttered, reaching for one of the cups. Jackson had been my future Beta since we were kids, the one person in the pack who could challenge me without consequences. Usually, I appreciated his honesty. Today I had a feeling I wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"What the hell are you doing, Marshall?"

"Drinking coffee. What does it look like?"

Jackson's dark eyes flashed with anger. "Don't play stupid with me. Half the pack saw you take Scarlett to your room last night. Your mate lives in this house, for Moon's sake."