Page 129 of Dominion

The girl held up her hands, looked away and offered her throat. “I’m just asking.”

“She’s under our protection,” he repeated firmly, but then shot Melissa a condemning look.

Damn. She hadn’t realized she would be causing such a problem with the pack.

Cody turned around the semi-circle, but no one met his gaze. “If anyone fucks with her again, I’ll put you in your place, and you will not like it. Do you hear me?”

“I liked it last time.” The blonde gave Melissa a little smirk.

The blood drained from Melissa’s face and her gut twisted. She’d been so thrown by the wolf dynamics she’d missed the obvious—this girl was Cody’s lover. Or ex-lover.

Melissa had no right to the jealousy burning in her gut, but she seriously wanted to punch the woman. Of course, she’d be sure to lose any fight with a shifter, which only made her more furious.

“Get out.” He pointed toward the door.

The blonde held up her palms. “Sorry. I was just joking.Jeez.”

He stared her down until all traces of the smirk faded from her face and a flush started up her neck.

“Sorry, Alpha.”

A frown marring his handsome face, Cody surveyed the others in the room. “Anyone else have a problem we need to work out?”

A quick chorus of “No, Alpha” rang out.

“Good. Let’s eat.” Cody turned on his heel and walked to the kitchen.

Damn. She should not find it so hot to see Cody flex his wolf dominance with his pack, but she did.

Still, it was obvious she didn’t belong here. She’d been clearly marginalized by Cody and the pack and Cody was obviously irritated with her for leaving the cabin. And she hated that she-wolf who’d just made her feel so stupid.

Unable to pull her face together, she slipped into the master bedroom and shut the door.

Cody stalkedout to light the grill, scowling at Lorna. As if it wasn’t enough just to keep the beast in check around Melissa on the full moon, now he had some crazy pack drama playing out. His pack never had drama.

The group had fallen together easily. They were all in their twenties and he’d been the obvious leader. He’d never had to assert himself with them except in a joking manner. Most of them worked for him with CJ Steele Construction, and they had an easy relationship, with his employees working hard to please him, but knowing he wouldn’t be a hard-ass if they needed slack.

Lorna’s reaction to Melissa had taken him by surprise. He hadn’t had sex with the she-wolf in over a year and they’d never been a couple—it had been gratuitous fucking, usually on a full moon, which is common among wolves until they find their true mate.

He should have warned the pack Melissa would be here. He’d told Greg, his beta, about the alpha promise, and had planned to tell the rest of the pack tonight, since it affected them all. But he wasn’t thinking clearly, hadn’t been since the night he brought Melissa home. She did that to him.

Voices picked up in the kitchen as the tension eased and the group fell into making food together. Greg, the beta of the pack, opened a couple of bags of chips and pulled a twelve-pack of beer from the refrigerator. Mary unwrapped a salad she’d brought.

He stepped in to get the meat, but something made him freeze. Somehow, the scent of Melissa’s tears had reached his senses. Where was she?

Dammit. The need to soothe her overrode any pack responsibility. Without a word to anyone, he stalked to the master bedroom and pushed the door open.

Melissa stood at the window, looking out. He caught her reflection in the windowpane, and the lost look nearly killed him. At his entrance, she whirled and darted away from him, into the bathroom.

He leaped forward, shoving his shoulder between the door and the frame before she could slam it shut.

“Can’t I just get a little privacy around here?” She wrestled with him, trying to shove him out. He caught her wrists and twirled her to wrap her arms around her chest in a painless restraint, pulling her back against his chest and holding her tight.

“Hey,” he said softly, trying to soothe her.

“Leave me alone.”

He pushed her up against the wall, sandwiching her there between it and his body, his arms protecting her from being squished. She leaned her forehead against the wall, panting. He leaned his cheek against the back of her head, breathing in her scent.