If Scarlet had known wolves were chock full-o-hotness, she would have hunted them up long ago. Or, at least, she wouldn’t have been so cranky about attending the Gathering. Yum.

With her sisters huddled against her back, she led them through the growing throng. Male wolves meandered amongst the women, and she saw more than one set of Alphas lean toward a female for a discreet sniff. Based on what she’d been told at check-in, their “conference” consisted of four thousand attendees from around the world. That was a lot of Marked chicks and Alpha pairs.

One such pair stepped into her path and blocked their passage. She glared at the men. Both were large, well over six feet, gorgeous…and in her way.

“Excuse me.” She stepped to the right, only to have her path obstructed once again. She gritted her teeth and smiled. “Excuse me, I’d like to get by. I have to speak to the Ruling Alphas.”

“Well, we need to see if any of you belong to us. All of the Marked must submit—”

Oh, so the wrong thing to say. Her sisters had been giving themselves pep talks from the moment their plane left Atlanta. No letting Alphas walk all over them.

“Submit? Belong to you?” Gabby’s voice was way too quiet. She stepped up and stood beside Scarlet. “You want to know if one of us belongs to you, that it?”

“Gabriella…” Her sister’s voice had taken on the brittle tone she knew all too well. It usually came right before…

Gabby kept on going. “Should I bend over so you can sniff my ass? That’s what dogs do, right?” The man’s face turned a blazing shade of red. Alphas, as a rule, didn’t like people talking back to them. It was a control thing.

“If you were my bitch—”

Scarlet waited to see if the vein in the wolf’s temple popped. That’d be fun.

“If I was your bitch, I’d carve the Mark from my flesh and fuck the consequences. Listen, asshole, I’m here because I don’t have a choice. So, fuck and you.” Gabby spat the words at the giant wolf. The giant wolf who looked about ready to tear her limb from limb.

“Is there a problem?” The most seductive velvet voice overrode her sister’s next words, and Scarlet suddenly felt the need to melt into the floor. A heavy wave of dominance far superior to that of the men they’d been arguing with, blanketed her. This guy was definitely stronger than the other two men. Dominance came on a sort of sliding scale, some wolves more powerful than others. This speaker was seriously dominant, and it made her wonder what it’d feel like to be in the Ruling Alphas’ presence. Their strength would probably drop her to her knees.

She turned her focus to the newcomer. Scratch that, newcomers. If she’d been a cat, she would have rubbed against them and begged for their touch.

While his companion was bulky, the man who’d spoken was tall and lithe. He had the body of a swimmer, accentuated by lean limbs that appeared to pulse with strength. Power surrounded him like a hidden shroud, and the jerk they’d been arguing with immediately fell silent. She let her gaze travel over the wolf, noting the pale brown hair with a hint of a curl, his long lashes and hazel eyes. His patrician nose had a bump along the ridge, attesting to a past break. His lips looked insanely kissable, yet furrowed lines surrounded them. The man frowned entirely too much. Like now.

“Garron?” He focused on the jerk who’d been giving them a hard time. “Quentin?” His attention went to the other wolf.

“Of course not, Alpha.” Garron, or “Asshole” in Scarlet’s mind, tilted his head. Showing deference to the new wolf, as well as exposing his own neck, confirmed Scarlet’s suspicions. The sexy wolf was definitely more dominant than Asshole. “We simply requested that these Marked submit, per the law of the Gathering.”

Scarlet seethed. First, at his wording and second, because the man didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. No idiot should try quoting the laws when he couldn’t tell his asshole from a hole in the ground.

When the powerful Alpha opened his mouth, Scarlet cut him off. “Alpha, if I may?”

That drew the attention of his companion, the larger presence she’d been trying to ignore. Where the first Alpha was lean, this one was built like a tank. Hell, his neck was nearly as thick as her thigh and her thighs weren’t small. But those eyes… Those sparkling blue eyes lured her. They called to her and beckoned her a little closer. She leaned toward him. What would it be like to—

“Of course, Miss…” The first Alpha let the word trail off, and she filled in the blanks.

“Wickham. Scarlet Wickham.” She shook her head to clear the burgeoning arousal from her mind and focused on the less dominant wolf, Garron, ignoring the asshole’s partner, Quentin. “It’s your belief that the Marked who attend the Gathering must submit upon your demand? That is your understanding of the laws?”

Gabby had learned all of the laws. Every. Single. One. And had then drilled them into her and Whitney’s brains. Her sister figured if they were gonna be forced into the dog (heh) and pony show, they needed to be as knowledgeable as possible. Plus, Gabs had been hunting for a loophole. Scarlet had simply paid attention long enough to get the gist of things. Of course, it’d probably come back to bite her on the ass. Much like tuning out her mother had done with the whole “forgetting about the Gathering” thing.

Garron snorted. “Of course I know the law. I—”

“It’s not your turn to speak, Garron.” The Alpha quieted the man, and her attraction to him and his partner increased.

She was suddenly not quite so pissed about being summoned. Her Mark tingled, heating and pricking right below her right shoulder.

Her mates were near. Not the two guys who’d blocked them. The new Alphas? Regardless, she’d found her mates. Portions of her raged against fate. She’d have to uproot her life. Move. And there was the fact that they could be total dicks. Who was to say they wouldn’t be like Garron and Quentin? They could treat her like shit.

Unfortunately, her other half, the bit that’d been lonely, rejoiced.

She had a guy to smack down first.

“Miss Wickham?” The hazel-eyed devil raised a single eyebrow.

The puny asshole, Garron rolled his eyes. She ignored him. “I’m assuming you know the first law. That a Marked shall never be harmed. Now, the second addresses a Marked’s submission.”

“See? You must—” A half-shifted claw wrapped around Garron’s throat. Way to go, badass Alpha.

“The first clause of the second law does say that each Marked must submit to the Test of Proximity.”

A gurgling gasp came from Garron, and the Alpha turned to her with a wide, toothy smile. “Continue Miss Wickham.”

“The law governing the Test of Proximity indicates it is the Marked who initiates and concludes the test. An Alpha pair may request the test, but, outside arranged Gatherings, no Marked is required to submit.” She glanced back at her sisters. “I didn’t agree to anything, did you?” Both Gabby and Whitney shook their heads, wide smiles in place. “So, my sisters didn’t agree to the Test of Proximity. I didn’t agree to the Test of Proximity, and I know for damned sure this is time set aside for registration. Thus, no required submission.”

She tilted her head to the side. “In fact, I do happen to recall that direct violation of Gathering laws in relation to the Marked, and their treatment, results in immediate expulsion. The laws are in place for our protection, not so you can come in and be a dictator. We are balance. We are your cherished. We sure as hell aren’t here to get barked at and sniffed.”

Garron’s reddening face paled, and the other wolf, Quentin, growled low. Apparently the other half of Garron’s pair didn’t care for what he heard. Well, she didn’t like being around assholes, so they were even.

The stocky man tensed, hands flexing and then they became claws. A rolling growl overrode Quentin’s, and the wolf quickly quieted.

“Thank you, Madden.” The lean Alpha’s voice was calm, smooth and not hinting at the tiniest bit of stress from holding Garron still. “Miss Wickham is correct. She asked you to move. Twice. You made demands of her and her…” He glanced at her, eyebrow raised in a silent question.

“Sisters.”

“You made demands of the Sisters Wickham.” The unknown Alpha pushed Garron away and, for the first time, Scarlet noticed the guards surrounding them. “Have this Alpha pair escorted from the grounds.”

Way to make an entrance.

Snarls and growls filled the air as the two asshole Alphas were drawn from the area, the guards doing their jobs as ordered. Which left Scarlet and her sisters with a thinning crowd and two massive, fuck-me-now Alphas.

“Um, thank you?”

The leaner of the two smiled, a slight quirk of his lips. “I’m sorry it was necessary. Unmated Alphas can come on a little strong and push the laws a little, but those two are too aggressive to remain. Apologies.” He bowed ever so slightly, bringing him nearer, and it took everything in her not to reach out and run her fingers through those slight curls. “I’m Alpha Keller Aaron, and this is my partner Alpha Madden Harris.”

Gabriella gasped, but Scarlet ignored her sister. She was too interested in the gorgeous men before her.

Keller continued. “We welcome you to the Gathering. If there’s any assistance we can provide, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Keller glanced at Madden, and their gazes remained locked as if they fought in a silent battle. Finally, Alpha Keller’s attention returned to her. “At this time, if you are amenable, we would like engage in a Test of Proximity.”

Scarlet blinked. Then blinked again before turning her head to look at Gabby. “Do you want to go with them?”

Her sister’s expression went from a mixture of wide-eyed fear and surprise to completely blank and devoid of emotion. She’d have to ask Gabby about that later. “They don’t want me, hon.”

“Whitney?”

That sister raised her brows. “Dude, I don’t even have a Mark.”

She stood there, stunned. Okay, her Mark was doing a happy little pulsy thing and the tingles were traveling on to her pleasurable pink bits, but… Her?

Scarlet turned her attention to Keller and Madden. “Me?”

Keller winked and Madden…smiled? Sort of a mix between a grimace and a smile. A smilace? She saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the wariness and unwillingness to let her in. In one sweeping glance, she caught it all. This was the big, bad pack protector who probably didn’t let anyone in. Keller would be the politician. Granted, the man could probably tear off a wolf’s head without hesitation, but Madden would be the one knocking heads around first and asking questions never.

At least Garron and Quentin were able to walk away.

“Yes, Miss Wickham, you.”

She looked to Madden for confirmation. His nod didn’t do anything for the butterflies in her stomach. “Um, okay. I don’t know how… Do I… Like, lean forward and you can sniff me or…”

Scarlet waved her hands, gesturing between them. She so wasn’t knowledgeable about wolf-land specifics. Sure, she’d absorbed the laws Gabby had spouted, but she hadn’t bothered with the rest. Hell, she didn’t even know who the Ruling Alphas were, hadn’t seen a picture or learned their names. She just knew that they were their starting point in Operation: Help Whitney.

Once again, like when she was a child, she should have paid more attention.

“Why don’t we meet in the hotel’s restaurant for dinner? We can talk and…see how things go from there.” Keller’s words were soft and soothing while a sexual, predatory gleam lingered in Madden’s eyes. She imagined him unleashing his pent-up need. On her.

She shivered, a brush of arousal traveling down her spine. Okay. Yeah. Dinner. She licked her lips. “That sounds good. Seven?”

That’d give them enough time to develop a battle plan. The growing throb in her shoulder told her in more than words that these two were the ones for her. She’d be the balance between the seething strength of Madden and the hidden power of Keller.

And that didn’t scare her nearly as much as it should have. Like, at all.

Madden watched her walk away, watched the sisters Wickham push and nudge through the throng until they were hidden from sight.

His wolf was pissed.

His heart thundered, pounding against his chest like a thousand horses racing across the plains. He couldn’t draw air into his lungs, couldn’t breathe.

His beast clawed and scraped and scratched inside him, snarling because he and Keller had let Scarlet leave.

The woman awed him. Not only did her body call to him, her mind proved she’d be a good match for them. She hadn’t walked into the Gathering blind. No, their mate had come in armed, prepared to battle with the overbearing Alphas.

Madden never doubted they were arrogant. Alphas, as a rule, wanted things done now and their way. Period.

Their Scarlet would be a good supporter and adversary at the same time.

“She’s beautiful.” Keller’s voice was pitched low, but Madden had no trouble hearing his partner Alpha.

And he agreed. She had luscious curves in all of the right places, nothing like the trim unmarked female wolves who threw themselves at the Ruling Alpha pair. Female wolves were great for a tumble, but their temperament didn’t provide proper balance, hence the magic that forced Alphas to find their mates amongst the human Marked.

And their Marked, with her round hips and lush breasts, was perfect.

Her long brown hair had seemed to gleam and glow in the ballroom, catching the light with her every shift. Her eyes… Her eyes were dark chocolate, the deep hue tempting him and luring him closer.

And, wolf or no, he was a chocolate lover at heart.

Keller’s elbow collided with his stomach, and Madden grunted. “What?”

“What do you think?”

He had only one thought, and he and his wolf were in complete agreement. “Mine.”

“Ours.”

The wolf growled but quickly recognized their partner’s claim. The beast knew they couldn’t rule, couldn’t claim Scarlet, alone. They needed Keller. Keller was as bloodthirsty as he was, but the other wolf managed to keep him out of trouble. His presence prevented Madden from spiriting Scarlet away and locking her up somewhere safe. He could protect her if she stayed inside. In his room. He suddenly realized why princesses were locked in towers.

Madden nodded. “Ours.”

The low clearing of a throat forced him to turn his attention from the point where Scarlet disappeared, to the man beside them. “Alphas.”

The Captain of the Guard. That’s right, they’d booted the asshole duo of Quentin and Garron. He hated both men. Their dominance tended to lean a little closer to mean than he liked, but each Alpha pair was entitled to join the Gathering and to search for their mate among the attending Marked.

Marked. He’d found his, theirs.

“Captain.” Madden’s attention remained riveted on the guard.

“The Colson Alphas were secured transportation to their home and given an escort to the airport.” The guard glanced at his watch. “Their flight leaves in one hour, twenty-seven minutes.”

“Excellent.” Keller joined their conversation, turning away from a pair of Alphas who’d approached them.

Keller’s gaze fell to him, eyes dark, brows furrowed and lips pinched in a solid white line. Already his partner had to be feeling the effects of their mate’s absence.

Scarlet? Keller spoke with his partner Alpha telepathically, a benefit of being part of an Alpha pair.

Madden rolled his eyes. Like I’d ever forget about ensuring her safety. “Captain, please locate the sisters Wickham. I want them to have round the clock protection. Pull in whomever you need, but I want a guard on their asses at all times. Like fucking glue.” The Captain raised a single brow but remained silent. Madden refused to sate the guard’s curiosity. The packs would learn about Scarlet soon enough. “That’s all I need.”

The wolf bowed and retreated, disappearing into the sea of men and women.

His inner-beast clawed at him, furious he’d let Scarlet’s protection fall to another.

A rough nudge had him turning his attention to Keller. “Chill. We’re having dinner with her tonight. Probably more. Then we can both watch over her.”

Madden knew he’d been at Keller’s side since they were young, but it still creeped him out when the man read his mind.

“I know.” Knowing didn’t keep the wolf calm. He practically vibrated with the need to hunt and protect her. She was so small and sweet and—

Keller snorted. “Small, maybe. I don’t think our mate exudes sweetness.”

Fucker had weaseled into his head again. Madden growled at the other wolf. The beast wouldn’t tolerate anyone, not even Keller, speaking badly about Scarlet. “She was protecting hers. She—”

“Alphas.”

He turned and snarled at the wolf who’d interrupted them, then drew the sound back. He was on edge, would be until Scarlet carried their bite and they both came deep within her body, one in her ass, the other in her pussy.

There was no reason to snap off Albert’s head. “Sorry.”

Keller strode past him, hand patting Madden’s chest. There wasn’t a sexual relationship between them, but time brought easy familiarity and comfort most human men shunned. “Don’t mind grumpy here. What do you need?”

Madden needed Scarlet, but it didn’t look like he’d get his way any time soon.

“The Marked have all checked in, though we still have a few Alpha pairs yet to arrive. I have confirmed they’ll be here by morning.”

“Thank you, Albert.” Keller gave the man a small nod and the wolf scampered away.

Keller, eyes dancing with mirth, turned to Madden. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“Shut it. You know you feel the same way; you’re simply nicer about it. You want to hunt her, too.” He narrowed his eyes. “Maybe we should have picked her guards ourselves. I’ll go find the Captain—”

His partner chuckled. “Come on, we still have a few duties to complete before we can meet our mate, and I’m sure the Captain has selected the very best to watch over the sisters Wickham.”

The wolf growled but felt the truth in Keller’s words.

He just didn’t like it.