“What’s up my craw? Nothing’s up my craw. Why don’t you mind your damn business? We’re partners, nothing more.”
“Maybe you need something up your craw, might loosen you up a bit.” The close-fisted punch slammed into the corner of his lips before he saw her move. His eyes flashed at her in warning, a growl erupting from his throat. She didn’t back down but matched his. Dominant to dominant.
“You might like loose women—”
“Is that what this is about?” he said. She puffed out her chest and lifted her chin, fingers twitching with the need to fight; the need to shift. One that he was getting excited to give her.
“Oh, please. Not everything is about you and who you fucked this week.” His eyes narrowed hard on hers.
“You sound as if you care. Tell me Jackie is that what this is about? Are you jealous of the women I take, of the women who offer themselves to me?” Her jaw crunched side to side before she spoke.
“I don’t think your ego can stay contained in this room,” she said with tightly controlled anger. “Hear me this one time. I do not care who you fuck. It’s not my business. Take every free submissive in the entire pack, in all the packs in the country because I...don’t...care.”
Thane rolled his shoulders as the urge to fight stroked him. “Maybe you should try it sometime. Maybe that’s all you need—a cock to loosen up that tight ass of yours.”
Her war cry gave him only a second warning before his back slammed hard against the blue mat. His teeth clanged together hard, the breath whooshed out of him, and she didn’t wait for him to recover but let out a flurry of punches he barely managed to dodge and slap away.
With a growl of his own, he tackled her and slammed her back into the mat. She panted below him, teeth bared, eyes glowing with the urge to shift and really fight. Thane didn’t know what came over him. He caught her strong arms in his hands and planted them next to her face. His hips pressed against hers.
Her eyes widened, lips parting on a gasp. He didn’t hide his erection but rubbed it sensuously against her core. She let out a feral growl at him—a warning.
She didn’t scare him. He brought his face close to hers, lips inches apart as he watched her flashing eyes.
“Admit it,” he said, punctuating his words with a roll of his hips. “Tell me how wet you are for me. How bad you want my cock filling you up.”
Suddenly her thighs locked tight around his waist and he actually groaned. But then she launched him, using the hands holding her and pushing back against him. He went flying through the air. Wind rushed by him as he landed hard and rolled.
She stalked to him, a snarl on her face. “Never touch me again.” She turned and walked away.
Fuck that. He wasn’t done with her. Thane stood and stalked to her. She spun before he could touch her and flashed him a warning with her eyes. She was breathing hard. Perspiration dampened her hair and neck, molding her tight tank top even closer to her lithe body.
It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize but instead he said, “Fine, then tell me why you’ve been angry with me.”
Her jaw fell open. Then her arms shot wide to encompass the gym. “You insulted me you half-wit!” Thane let her own insult slide as he thought back throughout the day and to yesterday when this whole thing started.
“The comment about your hair?”
If possible, her jaw dropped even further and then she clamped it shut and started to applaud—slowly.
“You, Sir, are worthy of a Nobel Prize. You are obviously a very intelligent man.”
A tic formed at his right eye and he gritted his teeth to keep from snapping at her. “What’s the big deal, Jackie? It was a joke.”
Some look he didn’t recognize flashed across her eyes. She stood up straighter, spine erect and said, “It’s a big deal to me. How do you think it feels being the only ginger in the entire pack?” Thane’s eyebrows shot up as suddenly he understood. He’d hurt her feelings. They sparred with words so much that he never even thought the barb had stuck.
“It’s not really the color of ginger, more like copper.”
She made a sound of disgust and turned away. Thane didn’t like this. Not at all. He didn’t know exactly why or what was the cause of it but he had to fix it. He stalked to her and pulled her into his arms.
It was like trying to trap a squirrel. She wiggled, squirmed, and fought against him until finally he shouted, “Stop it!”
She did, her surprised eyes wide as she looked up at him. Thane quickly thought up what to say but then his eyes fell to her hair. He caught it in his hand, watching as the fluorescent lights beat off it in streams of golden reds.
“Let go of me, Thane.” She’d quit struggling but a hard frown pulled at her mouth.
Thoughtfully he said, “No, your hair isn’t the color of ginger but a beautiful copper that catches the eyes and makes it hard to look away.” He meant every word of it. What he’d said yesterday had been a barb at her but he didn’t know it’d upset her. He looked down at her unreadable eyes.
Slowly she reached up and touched the hand he held her hair in. Then viciously she yanked it away and pushed him back. He went, startled at her anger.
“I am not some submissive who will cow-tow to your pleasure on a whim.”
God dammit. “I know that. That wasn’t what this was about.”
She cocked a brow. “Oh really, then what was this about?” She crossed her arms and stared at him.
Thane threw up his hands in defeat. “Never mind. I was just trying to pay you a compliment. Obviously your hard ass is too good for that.” He walked around her to leave.
“The next time you want to flirt, pick a submissive. At least she will be flattered by your...charms,” she said after him. That tic picked up again at his eye. Thane turned just in time to see her giving him her back.
Thane’s eyes flicked over her once. “At least she would know how to please a man.” He saw her back straighten and instantly hated himself.
Whatever. He gave as good as he got; that was his motto. Why should she be any different? He turned back and left her alone.
Chapter 12
Lyonis wrapped up his workout as his lieutenants came into the room. Grabbing a towel, he wiped the sweat from his face. He noticed the tension between Jackie and Thane right away.
“What’s wrong?”
“We have a situation,” Jackie said. Lyonis’ gut tightened with fear.
“Willow?”
Thane shook his head. “No, the McLannahans reported their daughter missing this morning.”
Lyonis’ brows shot up. “Stephanie?”
Jackie nodded grimly. “Apparently she went for a run last night and never came back.”
“Organize a search party, check the town, hell check the whole city.”
Nodding, Jackie hesitated. “Sir, but we don’t have enough guards with the ones watching your...Willow.”
“Use them. With that vampire Draven here, she has her own guard. Find Stephanie, see if anyone else was out running last night and saw her.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Thane said then ran out of the room with Jackie on his heels.
His mood infinitely diminished, Lyonis left the gym and headed to the McLannahans. When he arrived, there were already other pack members visiting the distraught family. Stephanie’s mother, Laura, rushed to him with tears in her eyes.
“Alpha Lyonis, she’s gone. She’s gone!” A harsh sob left her as she broke down. Lyonis held her close to him. Nothing he could do would soothe her now, unless they found Stephanie alive.
“Tell me everything that happened.” Her mate Rick came forward and pulled his wife into his arms.