“Only because he’s required to. The three of us, the sons of the Alpha, are required to compete in the Alpha Trials. If he didn’t compete, he’d completely forfeit his right to visit the pack, speak to anyone from the pack, or have anything to do with any of us ever again. I’m honestly a little surprised that he didn’t go ahead and forfeit, but I think he just wants to be able to keep in touch with Serafina, Dax and Roger. He has a soft spot for them because his upbringing was a lot like theirs. They’re practically growing up without parents, and so did he.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “He’s your brother. He had the same parents as you did.”
“My parents were most definitely not True Mates. They married to combine two powerful packs into one, and they hated each other from the start. By the time Austin was born, it was an utter disaster,” he explained. “My dad was openly banging other women, bringing them back to our house right in front of my mother – and she was bitter and humiliated and took it out on whoever was closest, which included Austin. Which made Austin lash out and behave badly, and then my father really started disliking him and beating his ass on a regular basis. Our mother would just sit there and watch. In his teens, we had to send Austin off to our version of military school. And Austin escaped from the school and didn’t even talk to any of us for years before he resurfaced.”
“Aha,” she said, nodding. “Well, I’m out of questions for the moment. My brain is just about full up.”
“You sure?” Cliff quirked an eyebrow. “I’m here all night. And for the rest of your life,” he added hastily.
Taylor hesitated. There was something else she wanted to ask, but it was embarrassing, especially after she’d made such a big deal about how she wasn’t going to have sex with Cliff.
“You want to ask me something. Ask away. I’m an open book.”
“I was just wondering about something that Shelley said,” Taylor admitted. “She mentioned one of the other girls you’d been sleeping with. Have you had sex with a lot of women in this pack?”
“A fair number, as well as women in other packs, but always with the understanding that it was for pleasure only. Werewolves are very physical creatures. It’s our animal natures. We’re extremely sensual and tactile, and before we pick a mate, we tend to have a lot of lovers.”
Oh. His explanation didn’t actually make her feel any better. She looked away with a frown. “I see.”
“What?” Cliff said.
“Well, you said that you’re very sensual, but you’ve pretty much been physically avoiding me all evening.”
“You said that we weren’t going to have sex. I’m certainly planning on changing your mind, but I didn’t want to come on too strong and push you. That was James’ suggestion.”
At her baffled look, he explained. “James likes you a lot and wants this mating to succeed. So he’s offered me some advice, which I’m trying to follow. But it’s taken every scrap of my self-control not to…” He stopped walking and looked away, avoiding her gaze.
“Not to what?”
“You don’t want me to answer. Because if I talk about it…”
“I do want you to answer.” Taylor had no idea what wild impulse had seized her, to make her say that. The next thing she knew, she was up against a tree trunk with her hands pinned above her head, his right hand firmly gripping her wrists.
“I want to fuck you. To kiss you all over. To bite you. To lick you. To…” He kissed her hungrily.
She moaned, twisting her wrists in his grasp, not in an attempt to get away but because she wanted to pull him closer. She felt boneless, almost molten, sandwiched between the scratchy bark of the tree and Cliff’s body. He pulled away for a moment, panting against her lips. “This is why,” he said urgently against her mouth. “Because touching you…knowing I can’t have you…it’s torture.”
She pulled at her wrists again, and this time he released her, hooking his arm behind the dip of her waist and pulling her against him. She curled both hands into his hair, kissing him back hard, arching towards him. He growled as he trailed his lips from the corner of her mouth to her throat, grazing the flesh with his sharp teeth and making her shudder with need.
A chiding voice piped up. “Uncle Cliff, why are you biting her? Her blood isn’t really chocolate, remember?”
Chapter Ten
“Damn it to hell,” Cliff snarled, pulling back.
Serafina came running up, chasing Dax and Roger. “Oh no,” she laughed. “Oh no.” She doubled over, laughing so hard she was shrieking.
“Think this is funny? I may not send your brothers away, but military school’s still an option foryou,” Cliff said furiously to Serafina.
Taylor blushed. “Ahem,” she said.
“We wanted you to read us a story,” Roger said to Taylor. “Our mother used to read us bedtime stories. And give us hundred dollar bills,” he added hopefully. “Every night.”
Dax kicked him. “She did not do either of those things.”
“Did so!” Roger shouted, and he looked as if he were about to cry.
Knowing how much their parents had neglected them, Taylor felt an ache in her chest, and a surge of protectiveness. She quickly stepped between the two quarreling boys.
