He snorted. “I didn’t. They let me go. That Sara bitch got a call from someone named Rick. The next thing I know, I’m being tossed on my ass, and they take off. Not even a kiss good-bye.”
“Rick is Sara’s brother,” said Roxie. She frowned. “He’s my mother’s beta—a lawyer here in Las Vegas. He’s a bigger asshole than Sara, trust me.” Something big was happening if Rick was involved. He didn’t like getting his hands dirty—that was Sara’s job. Dragging the alpha’s daughter back for the Suitor’s Brawl had taken a backseat to a bigger priority. Roxie had no clue what that could be—and frankly, she couldn’t care less.
“They’ll be back for me,” said Roxie. “So, look. Thanks for your help. I appreciate the offer to mate with me, but obviously that’s more trouble than you want.”
“Don’t tell us what we want,” said Grant. He leaned forward and sniffed. His eyes widened. “You two had sex. Without me.”
Roxie blushed to the roots of her hair. Oh, hell.
“We can’t all three have sex unless she mates with us,” said Jack. “You know how the triad works.”
Grant lifted an eyebrow. “Well, I’d like to test my own compatibility with Roxie.”
“Did you two miss the part where I’m trying to gracefully exit this situation? My mom isn’t going to let this go, no matter what’s gotten her attention now. Believe me. My best bet is to leave Vegas and stay off the radar.”
“Until when?” demanded Jack.
“Until it’s safe,” said Roxie, which, of course, would be never. Mom was stubborn and she no doubt viewed Roxie’s running away as a personal insult. She didn’t like anything, or anyone, who made her look weak, and her own daughter ditching the Suitor’s Brawl was a punch in the face.
She really should’ve gotten further away than Las Vegas. But she didn’t have friends, and she hadn’t traveled much—only going to California with her brother Derek a handful of times. They had fun going to the beach, but honestly, she would never be a surfer girl. She liked the land far more than she did the ocean. Damn. She wished Derek were here. He always knew what to say, how to make her feel better. She missed him so much.
“Roxie.” Jack took her hand. “If you don’t want to mate with us, then okay. But don’t think that you going off on your own will somehow protect us. We want you. We’ll be your safety. Your shelter. The Earth Pack chooses peaceful measures whenever possible, but we’re not weak. We can hold our own—even with the Blood Pack.”
Grant took her other hand. “You’re gorgeous. Smart. Strong. We know you’re not some delicate flower who can’t take care of herself. Jack’s right. We want you.”
“Because the very dead Matilda the Matchmaker says so?” she asked.
“Because our hearts tell us so,” said Jack.
“And other important body parts,” added Grant. He offered her a wolfish grin.
Roxie couldn’t help but laugh. How could she not consider the possibility of marrying these two men? She’d gone to college because she loved learning and wanted to make a difference in her pack. But she couldn’t help anyone who didn’t want it. And Mom and the Blood Pack were fine with violent chaos. Right now, Roxie only knew what she didn’t want: life in the Blood Pack. She would be able to contribute something of value to the Earth Pack. With Jack and Grant, she would create connections in a true community and actually experience soul-deep peace. And Roxie wanted that.
She wanted them.
Were Jack and Grant truly the solution to her problem? It wasn’t like she could change her mind later. What little she knew about the Earth Pack included that the alphas mated for life, and the triad could only be broken by death.
“Roxie?” Jack’s gentle tone drew her away from her jumbled thoughts and swirling doubts. She looked at him then at Grant.
They both squeezed her hands, their expressions mirroring the same hope.
She nodded. “I’ll be your mate.” She blew out a breath. “What we do now?”
Grant smiled. “We go on a date.”
* * *
“YOU’RE SAFE,” SAID Lara. “The brawl’s been called off.”
Roxie clutched at the cell phone and paced Jack’s room. She glanced at the closed doors. She’d asked for privacy to make this call. Lara was the only friend she had left in the Blood Pack. At sixteen, Lara survived the fire that killed her parents and younger sister. Even with the superior genetics of shifters, Lara was unable to completely heal. Her scarred flesh made her undesirable as a mate, but she had other gifts that made her valuable to Pack leadership. She was probably the only female werewolf in Blood Pack history immune from its barbarism.
“Do you know why?” asked Roxie.
“No,” said Lara. “I don’t think your mom’s been sober since Cody disappeared.” She inhaled a deep breath. “He’s dead.”
“What?” Roxie had no love for her stepfather, but his death still came as a shock. She pressed a trembling hand against her belly. “How did he die?”