Dom tried to stifle a grin, and she threw a pillow at him.
“It’s not funny.”
“Hold on, Vicki.” Eric sighed. She thought she heard him mutter about her being a stubborn, sexy woman, but his frown took her aback. “You don’t want children?”
“Ah, yeah, eventually. But geez, Eric. It hasn’t even been a week since you carted me off to Ravager funland.”
He raised a brow. “Funland, eh? What’s the problem? You don’t like fun? Was the sex not to your liking?”
She flushed. “I’m not going to pretend I didn’t enjoy it. You guys know what you’re doing.”
He frowned. “You guys?”
“Oh hell. You’re a king in bed. A stud between the sheets. You make me wet by simply breathing. Happy now?”
“Actually, yes.” He grinned, and she wanted to slap his handsome face because she wanted him again.
“My point, your humbleness, is that I barely know you. We fucked. Yeah. And I screwed around with Dom and Logan and Jesse too. And let’s not forget Malcolm,” she added when he opened his mouth.
“Let’s not,” he muttered.
“Good sex—”
“Great sex,” Dom countered.
“Does not lead to marriage, not if you’re human.” She glared at the three of them.
“But you’re not human, you’re a Conduit. And you’re mine. My mate, my queen,” Eric said, a bite to his tone.
He had a problem? She’d give him something to chew on. “Well, good, wolfie, because as Mrs. Prime, I demand you let me off this goddamn compound.”
Dom crossed his arms and smiled. “I was so looking forward to this.”
“And you, shut it,” she growled at him. “You’re as much to blame as he is. You picked me!”
Dom glanced knowingly at Eric, who sighed and said, “You were right. Again.”
Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Dom’s always right. Your guard knows everything you need before you need it, Prime. He’s a legend…in his own mind,” he added with a chuckle that had Dom frowning at him.
“Funny. Look, you’re pack now. Call him Eric,” Dom suggested.
“Eric,” Malcolm repeated. “He’s as much a marvel as you are, or at least, he was, until you pulled probably the only woman in the world who could bear your—” he paused at the glare Vicki shot him. “Ah, I mean, no way anyone could have turned a human feral the way you did, not unless you had a shitload of power, which you obviously do.” He snickered. “Nev Lawless is going to hate this.”
Eric nodded and sobered. “Dom, increase the watch. Vicki—”
“Don’t Vicki me.” On the one hand, she could feel his pleasure, that he had her, not just some woman he’d supposedly turned feral, whatever that meant. But on the other, he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. With a snap of her hand, she twisted his energy around him and pulled him closer to her.
He glared. “Cut that out.”
Malcolm’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. I thought Dom said she had to touch you to do that.”
He’d normally be right, but Vicki couldn’t think about the strange turn her ability was taking.
“Don’t piss me off, or I’ll do it to you too,” she warned. “Now look. If you expect me to stay here, you’d better start thinking flowers and candlelight. I want to see my family whenever the hell I want, and I plan on continuing to work with Sean for S&V Retrievals. We spent years building up that company, and we’re good at what we do. You want me to stay, I’ll need an office I can work from when I’m here. Deal?”
She expected Eric to scoff at her lengthy list, especially the part about her continuing to work with Sean. Vicki kept the disappointment at bay. So what that I’ve become so used to them while I’ve been here? This is just a fling. I barely know them. A few weeks at home, living a passionless existence filled with Voider trouble, would be just the thing.
Eric smiled, showing sharp teeth. He kissed her smack on the lips. “Deal. Dom, Malcolm, she’s yours. I have a meeting with Walker.”
He left for the bathroom before she could respond. She heard the shower running.
“Deal? What does ‘deal’ mean?”
Dom laughed and swung her up in his arms. He kissed her then nuzzled her breast, where the burning mark now throbbed with a pleasant hum, a beacon of energy she clearly felt as Ravager. “It means you’re part of the family. Our mate—our wife—for those of us who think like a human.” He wiggled his brows. “How great is this?”
Wife? A large ball of emotion clouded her thinking, and for a moment, she felt pure delight in belonging with her new pack. Until she reminded herself she was a regular woman who shouldn’t take pleasure in marathon orgies. Fox and Morely women were much more circumspect with their lovers, er, husbands, as in, one “mate” at a time. Good Lord, what would Gran say? Hell, what would Gran do to these guys if she didn’t approve?
Malcolm rubbed her shoulder and slapped Dom on the back. The Ravager had tears in his eyes, and that quickly her worry faded under concern for Malcolm. “I’ve been on the outside looking in for a long time. Now I’ve not only got a pack but a female as well. It doesn’t seem real.”
His wonder and distress tugged at her. Dom put her down and hugged Malcolm. To her shock, he swept Malcolm into a steamy embrace that had both men groaning.
“It’s real, all right,” Dom said on a sigh. “And if I didn’t have a shitload to do, I’d get you off right now. But with Eric handling outside clan matters, I’ve got to do a few things in-house. Malcolm, stay with our new queen. Okay?”
Malcolm turned glittering eyes her way. “My pleasure.”
Dom turned to the bathroom but stopped and pointed at Malcolm. “For your sake, don’t forget what we talked about. I’d hate for Eric to rip you open and gut you before we can see where this family takes us.”
Malcolm groaned. “It’ll be hard, but I won’t disrespect my prime.”
“Your packmate,” Dom said with a smile.
“Yeah. Packmate.” Malcolm lit up, and Vicki had to smile. The leer he gave her, however, wiped the grin from her face. Damn, Malcolm was hot. “Anywhere else, right?”
“You got it.” Dom disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door.
Malcolm turned to her. In two steps he took her in his arms and kissed her. Like magic, he melted her resistance with those firm, warm lips.
“Malcolm, what—”
“Later, mate. First, I need to ease your need. You smell so sweet.” He licked his way down her body, and when he burrowed between her thighs, she stopped all thought. Her questions could wait. For now.
Chapter Thirty
Later that evening, Vicki sat with Malcolm at the end of one of the long tables in the expansive dining room. Dozens of other Ravagers smiled her way when they entered but gave her and Malcolm privacy all the same.
“They like me now?” she asked as she dug into the meatloaf Rule had prepared. “A few days ago I was someone to be tolerated or ignored. Yesterday, half of them seemed to hate me.”