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Deacon coolly leaned against the fence. “Because you’ve been staring at her all night with those pathetic puppy dog eyes.

You don’t stand a chance with a woman like that.

She wants a leader, not a fucking loser who can’t even win a fight.

Especially a defective Chitah,” he said with disdain.

After a pregnant pause, Deacon said in a quieter voice, “A little bird told me your kindred spirit rejected you. Is that true?”

Lucian reeled back and glowered.

“Ho-ly shit. It is true, isn’t it?” Deacon rocked with laughter.

Lucian wondered if Deacon was bluffing. He hadn’t even told his family about it.

“I bet you’re wondering how I found out.

” Deacon stroked his beard with a cocksure grin.

“I learned a long time ago that betas in a prestigious pack have clout. I already knew you were from Cognito, so I gave a few of my buddies up there a call to see what they could dig up on Mr. High and Mighty Lucian Cross. Rejected by your soulmate.” He chuckled darkly, rubbing it in.

Lucian clenched his teeth, fighting his rising anger and shame. “You don’t know a damn thing about me,” he said, his voice tightly caged.

“Really?” Deacon faced him, elbow resting on the fence.

“My buddy knows a guy who’s friends with her mate.

Small world, huh? I wonder what else he could find out.

” He leaned in and spoke in honeyed words.

“Must be a motherfucking punch to the gut to have your soulmate reject you, but it’s obvious why, half-pint.

” Before walking off, he clapped Lucian on the shoulder.

“Let me know if you need another haircut. It’s getting a little long on top. ”

Lucian knocked his arm away and turned around so his back was to the house. He gripped the fence, his heart racing out of control and his throat dry with panic. It wasn’t only from the revelation that Deacon knew about his past, although that in itself was a complete violation of his privacy.

Deacon had asked Eden out… and she said yes .

Of course she would. A formidable female like her could have any male, so why would she lower her standards to anyone less than a leader?

Lucian was good enough to fuck, but betas were pillars of the community.

Deacon was a confident male, albeit he had more muscle than brains.

Was he just toying with her as a means to get at Lucian, or did he see a strategic opportunity for a mate?

Who better than a Councilwoman? Not only would he be the envy of all, but he would also have more power.

Maybe he’d seen an opportunity to get Hamish his land back.

Either way, there wasn’t a damn thing Lucian could do about it.

We had a one-night stand. That doesn’t give me any right to confront her. We haven’t even slept together since then.

Not because he didn’t want to, but Montana’s warning about screwing up the pack’s relations with her had given him cold feet about the whole thing.

But now his cold feet were steaming up. Lucian’s primal urge to claim her burned through his veins. He didn’t just want to pleasure her until she cried out his name—he needed to mark her with his scent.

Just a little.

Not enough that anyone could detect it but him.

Marking was a chemical reaction that occurred beneath the surface of their skin.

Unlike the disgusting spraying habits of animals in the wild, Chitahs had the ability to push out a unique scent from every pore in their body—like their own personal brand of cologne.

When claiming a mate, the act was involuntary—a primal urge they couldn’t ignore.

It happened in her presence, and sometimes they might rub their body against an object that also carried her scent—usually furniture.

It was a way to mark her, to warn other males that she was claimed.

Most Chitahs avoided a claimed female because that suitor was willing to challenge them in a fight to the death.

Lucian didn’t know what to do with the urge. It wouldn’t mean anything or lead anywhere, given their agreement, but he needed to somehow make her his, even if it didn’t count.

A despicable male like Deacon might use her, and that sharpened his anger.

Eden was fast-tracking her dating life because of her father, and now she had a beta showing interest. Unless an available Packmaster stepped forward, Deacon had a shot.

The thought of Deacon seducing her made Lucian’s fangs ache.

Unable to hide in the shadows any longer, he stalked across the grassy lawn, passing a bevy of gossiping women who stopped their conversation to look at him. Because of the onion he’d just eaten, he couldn’t scent their emotions to tell what they might be thinking.

When he reached Eden, he took her hand. “Come with me.”

I set my empty wineglass on a table and joined Mercy by a tiki torch. “I was looking for you. It’s been so hectic, and everyone keeps trying to talk business with me when it’s my night off.”

She dabbed a napkin over a stain on her white capris. “I’m sorry. If I’d known that, we could’ve made a secret hand signal for you to call out for help.”

I chuckled and jutted my hip. “It’s all good.”

After pitching the wadded-up napkin into a wastebasket, Mercy grabbed a few crackers from a bowl and munched on them. “I was inside earlier, checkin’ on Cleo.”

“I saw her a little while ago making a plate of food.”

“Good. I told her to come down and fix herself a plate for supper. It’s not like she has to hang around or talk to anyone, but I feel sorry for her. She’s been through rough times and doesn’t trust anyone enough to come out. Maybe if she sees how friendly everyone is, she’ll be more comfortable.”

“It’s decent of you to take her in.”

“Well, sometimes strays come along and you gotta do what’s right.”

“Doesn’t she have family?”

Mercy crunched on another cracker. “We’re looking, but you know how that goes. People go missing all the time. There isn’t a database that tracks all that, so we’re doing the best we can.”

I nodded. There wasn’t much I could do in the way of searching that Tak didn’t already have access to himself. If he was reaching out to Councils across North America, they would accept his request for information. That’s what we did, among many other things.

Bear ambled up behind Mercy, hunched over, and wrapped his arms around her. “You look mighty pretty.”

She flashed a cheerful smile at me before twisting her head to face him. “You worked so hard today, and I’m gonna show you later on just how much I appreciate it.”

He blushed. “Honey, all I want to do is cuddle all night and save cleanup for tomorrow.”

After a soft kiss, Mercy said, “Go save me a seat by the grill. Your apron is officially retired for the rest of the night. I’ll cook the hamburgers if anyone wants more.”

Bear gave her a light peck on the cheek before sauntering off.

“He looks exhausted,” I remarked. “Maybe he should change out of that long-sleeved shirt. I bet he’s burning up.”

“Bear’s a professional and dresses the part.”

Bear wore long sleeves at the Rabbit Lounge in addition to a beard net, but it seemed excessive for a casual outdoor event, especially with the warm spring temperature. In fact, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him in a short-sleeved top.

“I better go rescue him before he starts messin’ with the grill again.” Mercy flashed a bright smile before leaving me. “I’m so glad you came!”

Councilman Connor rose from a nearby chair. When he caught sight of me, he waved and headed over. The sandy patches in his reddish beard suggested he was older than me, but his playful grin and the twinkle in his eye made one woman turn on her heel like a revolving door to watch him saunter past.

“Have I done enough mingling?” he asked, stretching.

I touched the lapel of his tweed coat. “Is this your version of casual?”

“Aye. Picked it out meself.”

“In what decade?” I smiled at his tweed cap. “I’ll be heading out soon.”

“You be careful. At least you’re getting all that security installed. Fortuitous, don’t you think? Well, I’m off like an old pair of socks.” As he began to stroll away, he turned and pointed at me with a squinty smile. “If they cook any more of them ribs, save me some.”

I decided to eat another one of Bear’s smoked-salmon avocado tarts before they were gone. They had long tables with snacks out in the yard, which made it convenient to graze without going far. After a bite, I searched for a napkin.

“Miss Eden Thompson. I wasn’t sure if you were hiding from me,” Deacon said.

Startled, I faced him while hastily chewing my snack.

Deacon swiped the corner of my mouth. He revealed the chunk of avocado before licking it off his thumb. “Bear’s not a bad cook, but we’ve got a better one in our pack. You should come over sometime and have dinner with us.”

After swallowing, I dusted off my fingers. “That sounds nice, but my evenings are usually full.”

“Working?”

“No, it’s not that. I have to be home at night.”

“But you’re here now,” he pointed out.

“A special exception. Even still, I need to go soon.” I glanced at my watch.

“You work too hard. It’s important to make time for yourself.”

“Oh, I do. Usually it’s right after work when I can squeeze in personal time. But I’ve got a contractor setting up security in my home, so I need to be there to discuss the job and review his work. We both took the night off.”

“Anyone around here?” When he folded his arms, it made his muscles even bigger. I was curious if they were as hard as they looked.

“Lucian Cross. I think you two know each other?”

He smiled wide. “You don’t say. Lucian and I go way back.”

“Mr. Cross does excellent work, and after he gets my recommendation, he’ll be booked out. Mr. Macgregor should meet with him before his calendar fills up.”