“She was.” Eric felt defensive. So Vicki hadn’t exactly begged him until he’d given it all he had to seduce her. She tested him at every turn, and the hell of it was she got him hard by being so fucking stubborn.
“Give me until tomorrow to set it up. And Prime, make sure you include Malcolm in your hunt. No better time to introduce him as a new member of our pack,” Dom said with a wicked grin. “I’ve been wanting a piece of him for a long time.”
“Why do you wait until the last minute to tell me these things?”
“Timing had to be right. He’s ours, Prime. Just like Vicki.”
Eric sighed. “Just like Vicki, great. If Malcolm’s anywhere near as difficult as Vicki, I’m not just going to fire your ass. I’m going to kick it from here to the Lawless territory.”
* * *
Vicki hada bad feeling about Friday night’s events. The entire clan—those in attendance at the Savage homestead, anyway—rallied in the large area behind the house bordered by the tree line. They whispered and pointed when they saw her. Some looked at her with respect, others with caution, and a few with hostility. She wondered if they didn’t want her around Ravager tradition or if she’d irritated one and all in some other way. Who the hell knew?
Sentries had been positioned throughout the woods to prepare for this thing everyone called a hunt. According to Dom, the hunt celebrated past Ravager tradition, when the Ravager males used to hunt for their females in the years when females were plentiful, before life and their society changed. Since Ravagers considered their females sacred, no one was ever harmed during a hunt, but the exciting predator to prey relationship reminded everyone where they’d come from.
A place not of this world, Vicki thought, uneasy. In Cross Step, where everyone was different, it was easy to forget that most of the town’s citizens came from other planets.
Movement around her alerted her to the fact that half the Ravagers had transformed into theirguers, while others, like Eric’s pack—her pack—remained in human form. Diana stood next to Sean. Neither looked at the other, but anytime a male stepped too close to Diana, her cousin pushed him back with a welling of fierce energy.
Vicki blinked in astonishment, wondering just when Sean’s possessive streak had formed. For days he’d been bitching about being marked. Now, it seemed, he’d staked his own claim on Diana.
Kate remained apart from the others. Jesse and Logan stood behind her, their attention on the dark-haired female. The cloud of lusty energy swelling around the threesome built and built, and those nearest the group shuffled around on distracted feet.
The anticipation in the air all around her told Vicki something big was about to happen. She had a bad feeling it had to do with her, since Malcolm and Dom refused to allow her to move two steps without bringing her right back to Eric. And that was another thing. Why the hell was Malcolm now so chummy with Eric and Dom? And why did he look at her as if she were the cherry on top of his personal dessert?
He caught her stare and winked before licking his lips.
An answering desire zinged through her, and she forced herself to look away, happy at least that only a select few of these Ravagers revved her engine.This is no time to get hot for just any Voider with attitude, Victoria. No way. Not here.
Eric raised a hand, and the surrounding noise ceased. “It’s been way too long since we last had a hunt. I’m sorry to say issues among our clan and other Voiders throughout town have kept me preoccupied, but no longer. As many of you may have noticed, we have some new faces among us.”
Someone shoved Sean forward, and he swore back at them. Diana rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide a grin.
“Sean Morely. Diana’s claimed mate,” Eric said in a loud, challenging voice. “He’s human, a Conduit, and if any of you have the balls to take him on, go for it.”
Sean scowled like a thundercloud. The grumbling around them grew louder until two hulking Ravagers in theirguerstepped forward.
“Diana, you choose a human over your own kind?” One of them sneered at Sean.
“And a puny human at that,” another added, hovering over Sean by a foot.
Sean didn’t blink as he absorbed their energy and used it to throw them both back on their asses, several feet away. Diana grinned with pride and didn’t protest when Sean threw an arm around her shoulders and anchored her to him, daring anyone else to pick a fight.
Dom laughed. “As you can see, Diana’s mate has skills. Don’t underestimate him. Prime never would have allowed the match were it not plain to see the male can hold his own.”
Several around them grunted. Sean narrowed his gaze on Eric but didn’t comment.
“More news,” Eric added. “Kate has declared her own pack.”
Cheers and clapping buoyed Kate to step forward.
“Jesse and Logan are no longer part of my pack, though I’ll always treasure what time we had together.” Eric smiled at the trio. “It’s a great honor Kate has given them. Honor her well,” Eric warned them, “or you’ll answer to me.”
Logan and Jesse responded with a solemn nod. The joy that should have been there wasn’t, and Vicki knew she wasn’t the only person there wondering what the hell existed among the three of them besides desire.
Eric turned to her before looking back out at the crowd. “And for my big news.” The area quieted. “I’ve taken Malcolm into the pack to be claimed. He’s a fine warrior, as you all know. His initiation into the family will take place tonight, once Dom catches him.”
Malcolm seemed startled by the announcement, but several in the crowd snickered and cheered. She could only imagine what Dom would do to him, which had her quivering with unanticipated lust. Who would have thought she’d be aroused by the thought of guy Ravagers getting it on?
