Her disappointment in him sat heavy in the air, and Marcus didn’t like it. “Well, if your opinion of me is really that low, it’s going to make my goal to seduce you even harder.”

She did a double take. “What’s that now?”

“Come on, Roni, are you really going to pretend you didn’t sense me circling you the past few months?”

She spluttered. “That was just you being your usual flirtatious self. I’m not your type. You like foo-foo females.”

“Foo-foo?” he chuckled.

“High maintenance, perfect appearance, devoted to spas, needs constant reinforcement, and—oh my God—do they ever shut up?” She’d expected him to be offended, but he laughed. “You lay on all that charm, give them your attention, but you don’t commit to them. You just kind of . . . float around them.”

He couldn’t argue with that. All of Marcus’s past relationships could be described as short, simple, and sweet. But he wasn’t equipped to cope with serious relationships or to meet the emotional needs of others. How could he be, when the only example of love he’d ever known was warped and twisted?

Roni shrugged. “But maybe you’re just saving your commitment for your true mate.”

In truth, the thought of mating absolutely terrified Marcus; his upbringing had showed him that a mating could be more of a trap than a blessing. Having watched as Trey, Dante, and Shaya found their mates, he’d seen how the bond could be something worth protecting. It might have given him hope if it weren’t for the conversation he’d had many years ago with the Seer within his sister’s pack.

She’d told him that he would find his mate, had even described her to him—small, slim, strawberry-blonde hair, and huge baby blue eyes. But the Seer had also told him other things about her, about what lay ahead for them, and the thought of having a future like that scared the shit out of him.

Returning his focus to the conversation, he said, “My problem is that I seem to attract clingy females.” He wasn’t lying; it was indeed one of his problems, just not the main one. “I’m not just talking physically clingy, I mean—”

“Females who need constant attention, get extremely jealous, take everything personally, and don’t accept responsibility for their own feelings—their unhappiness, rage, and envy are all your fault?”

So damn astute. “Yeah.”

“Zara was a classic example. It’s not all that shocking that you attract them, since they tend to go for strong, competent people. You know, their needy behavior can be a form of control and manipulation in some situations; it forces their partner to be their caretaker and address their every need.”

He really liked that brain. “You think I’m strong and competent?” She simply rolled her eyes. “So, we’ve established why I keep things casual. What about you?” She didn’t respond to his prodding. Pulling up outside Phoenix Pack territory, he turned his gaze on her as he waited for whoever was on security duty to open the gates. “Talk to me, Roni. It’s not so bad to ‘share.’ Try it. You might like it.”

It was the dare in his eyes that made her elaborate. “I’m not good at relationships because I don’t know how to be an ‘us.’ I’m not touchy-feely, and I’m not the type to feed a male ego by lavishing it with affection.” Male shifters liked to feel needed, and Roni didn’t like to need anyone. “When a guy senses how dominant I am, his instinct is to try to control me in order to firmly establish that he’s ‘the boss.’ Let’s just hope my mate won’t do that.”

What Roni didn’t say was that she was probably too messed up to even sense her mate. Jaime had once said her mother had compared the mating bond to a frequency. If it were jammed by things such as doubts or fears, it couldn’t be picked up. Roni knew she was guarded, knew she found it extremely difficult to let people in. How could someone who struggled to allow new people into their life sense their mate?

“It stands to reason that your mate can accept you as you are,” Marcus assured her as he drove through the now open gates, nodding at Cam in greeting. “That he’ll want you any way he can have you.” Although that wasn’t always a good thing; his parents’ mating was proof of that. But he wasn’t interested in darkening the mood, so he flashed her another smile. “And that delectable ass of yours totally makes up for your flaws.”

She didn’t know whether to scowl or thank him for the compliment. She went with scowling, which only made him laugh again. She was sure she’d never met anyone who liked to laugh as much as Marcus did. Yet despite that playfulness, there was an intensity about him that even her extremely dominant brothers couldn’t match.

“My wolf wants to take a bite out of it. I can’t say I’m opposed to the idea.”

“I’m not your type,” she again insisted.

He didn’t deny it, since it would only insult her intelligence. “And yet, I want nothing more than to strip you naked and have my wicked way with you.” She said nothing. “You want me as much as I want you, Roni.” Pulling up inside the concealed parking area, he leaned toward her. Raw need pulsed between them, drawing him closer. “Admit it. I dare you.”

Roni was no coward. Had he been anyone else, she would have admitted the truth. But with Marcus, she couldn’t be sure that this wasn’t just harmless flirting. Uncomfortable with the way he was staring at her, she dropped her gaze . . . and it fell on his mouth. That sinful, erotic mouth that was most likely very talented.

When she didn’t answer, Marcus persisted. “Roni?”

“Sorry, I was just imagining putting a moth in your mouth. I saw it in a movie once.”

He had to smile. “I’ll let you live in denial a little longer,” he told her as they exited the car—though if her brother and Beta weren’t due to enter the lot any second, he might not have been so well behaved. “But we both know that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

She huffed as she followed him up the steps that were carved into the cliff face. “You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

Opening the door wide, he smiled at her. “You like that.”

He was right, she did.

CHAPTER FOUR

Once the entire hunting party was seated at the kitchen table, Rhett began to talk as he flicked through a pile of papers.