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  “This is a cluster fuck. But we may be able to save the situation, at least for a little while. He’ll eventually see that mark on her, and chances are she’ll tell him she’s already mated if he tries to force a mate on her. But her daddy happens to be heading this way right now to pick her up. The full moon run fell through at the last minute and he wants his darling daughter back.” Timber folded his arms over his chest. “So I’ll send Blaze and Luna to babysit until Shadow arrives. He should be here in an hour or two. I’m guessing you left all your shit there.”

  “Yeah.”

  Timber sighed. “I’ll have Blaze gather your things and return them to you.”

  “Thanks, Timber. I’m sorry I fucked up.”

  “When this comes back to bite us in the ass, don’t expect me to stick my neck out for you. And you know I have to tell Blitz what’s going on. He trusted you, and you betrayed that trust. I understand the pull of a mate, but damn, son… you may have fucked us over this time.”

  Chapter Four

  Mina glared at her daddy and put her hands on her hips. “I said no.”

  “You’ve pushed away every wolf I’ve stuck under your nose for as long as I can

  remember, but you’ve been worse since you stayed with the Steel Riders for a day.

  What the hell did they do to you?”

  Fucked me, claimed me, and then ran out on me. Not that she could say that to her doting daddy, who was doing his damnedest to set her up with eligible wolves in the pack and surrounding areas. It had only been three weeks, but she knew something he didn’t about her time with the Steel Riders. She hadn’t just been fucked well by Spark; he’d left a little something behind. When her heat cycle had ended later that day, she’d known she was pregnant.

  She just wasn’t sure how to tell her daddy that little tidbit. Or about her mating.

  “What’s wrong with Bone?”

  She snorted. “You mean besides that ridiculous name? He sweats too much,

  belches about every half hour, and his farts will chase anyone out of a room. Not to mention, I’ve told you repeatedly, I don’t want a mate.”

  “Every she-wolf wants a mate.”

  “Fine. I want a mate I can’t have. Happy now?”

  Shadow glowered at her. “Respect me, young lady. Now tell me who the lucky

  wolf is.”

  “He’s not a wolf,” she muttered.

  Her father’s face darkened. “Steel Riders?”

  “That’s where I met him. He saved me from Striker. If it weren’t for Spark, I’d have been force-mated.”

  “I don’t remember seeing a Spark there when I picked you up. If he saved you,

  why wasn’t he guarding you when I arrived?”

  She blushed and looked away.

  “Mina.”

  She recognized the warning tone in her father’s voice, but she stubbornly looked anywhere but at him. She knew she’d have to tell him sooner or later about the baby, and the fact she was already mated, but she had hoped the moment would be right, that he’d be in an excellent mood.

  “Mina, you’re going to tell me what’s going on. There’s something more to the

  story than you having a crush on some shifter you met once.”

  Shadow got a peculiar look on his face, and before she could react, he yanked her top to the side. Thankfully, it was the wrong side. He frowned, studied her a moment, then jerked her shirt the other direction. A low growl rumbled in his chest and his eyes flashed the golden color of his wolf.

  “You’re mated?” He bared his fangs. “You fucking mated that rat without my

  permission?”

  “Now, Daddy, you know you never would have agreed, and in Spark’s defense,

  he did try to push me away. But didn’t you tell me I should go after what I want? Well, I wanted Spark, so I went after him. He told me repeatedly that it was a bad idea, that even though we knew we were true-mates, we shouldn’t succumb to our instincts.

  Daddy, I want to be with Spark.”

  “It’s not like I can undo a mating,” he said gruffly. “But I wish you’d asked first.

  You don’t know, I might like the boy. If he’s what makes you happy, I’m sure I

  wouldn’t have given him too hard a time.”

  She smiled and hugged him, then stepped back and nibbled her bottom lip.

  “There’s just one more thing.”

  “Christ, girl. You’ve thrown a mating at me before I’ve even had my morning

  coffee, and now you have another surprise for me? What? Is he hiding in your

  bedroom?”

  She shook her head.

  “You’re running away and moving in with him?”

  “I don’t think he wants me anymore, Daddy. He ran away after he claimed me,

  and then you came and picked me up. He hasn’t tried to call me once. And…and it’s important that he’s in my life. Because we’re going to have a cub to raise pretty soon.”

  Her father stared at her, dropped his gaze to her stomach, and then looked her in the eyes again. “So what are you waiting for? If the jackass won’t come to you, hadn’t you better go to him? I thought you had more backbone than that.”

  “Does that mean I have your permission to live with my mate?” she asked.

  “Would it do me any good to tell you no?”

  She smiled broadly. “Not in the least.”

  “Then go get your mate.” Shadow grunted. “But I’d better be invited to meet him sometime soon. A man ought to know his son-in-law.”

  “I have a better idea. Why don’t you go with me to the Steel Riders?”

  Shadow rubbed his jaw. “Well, I suppose the V.P. could handle things for a day

  or two. And I have to admit, it would be fun to see the stark look of terror on your mate’s face when he thinks I’m coming there to take him apart for marking you.”

  “Daddy!”

  “What? I have to get my fun somewhere.”

  Mina folded her arms over her chest. “Everyone thinks you’re this hard ass biker when really you’re a sneaky little boy stuck in a grown man’s body.”

  “Hell. I’m forty-five. Not dead.”

  “You won’t tell my brothers, will you? You know they’ll want to come too, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, much less the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. You might scare him off.”

  Shadow snorted. “Sounds like you scared him off already. Otherwise, I’d have

  met him when I came to pick you up. A real man would have met me face to face and admitted to having claimed you, would have fought for you if need be.”

  “Are you calling my mate a wuss?”

  Shadow shrugged.

  “I don’t think he was worried so much about what you’d do to him. I think he

  worried that you would take it out on his club and they would exile him. They’re all he has. He told me he grew up without a father and with an alcoholic mother. He started prospecting for the Steel Riders when he was just fifteen. Can you imagine?”

  “So your boy’s had a hard life. It means he’ll appreciate the things he has—like you. I can understand him worrying about losing the only family he has, but now that he’s mated my baby girl, he has a whole new family. The moment he put his mark on you, he became an honorary Silver Skull.”

  “Can you be in two clubs at once?”

  “I said honorary. He doesn’t have voting rights, and I would only call on him in an emergency. He is family after all. Boy might not see it that way, but he will soon enough.”

  Mina frowned at her father. “What are you plotting?”

  “Don’t you worry about it. Just follow my lead when we get there, and

  remember, I have your best interests at heart.”

  Mina wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She knew her dad could be wily, and a bit of a hard ass when it came to his kids. Spark had run from her to save his place within his club, and the last thing she wanted was for him to feel like
he was going to lose his family, even if her father was just playing. She’d seen him make grown men cry, and a blubbering Spark was not something she ever cared to see.

  She followed her father into the house and went to her room. The closet was so

  full the doors wouldn’t shut, and her dresser was full to bursting as well. Then there were the mementos and pictures she would want to take to her new home. As she

  looked around the room she’d called home all her life, she realized that she had no idea if Spark even had a home or if he lived at the clubhouse. Maybe she should just take one suitcase and have her father bring the rest of her things at another time.

  It didn’t take her long to pack and she found her father waiting by the front door.

  Since she planned to start a new life with Spark, she took her car and followed behind Shadow’s motorcycle. It was nightfall by the time they reached the clubhouse of the Steel Riders, and Mina knew her father would prefer that she not enter the building.

  He’d sheltered her as much as possible from the M.C. life, but if she was going to make changes, she might as well start now. She left her bag in her car, brushed past her father, and pushed through the doors.

  Music pulsed through the room. Nearly naked women plastered themselves to

  the shifters in the room, while alcohol flowed freely. Mina waved her hand trying to dispel the smoke in the room. She knew it wasn’t good for a pregnant woman to be around cigarette smoke, and she was fairly certain she detected the scent of marijuana.

  Her gaze skimmed the crowd as she searched for Spark. She wasn’t certain what she’d do if one of those skanks had her tongue down his throat.

  Mina finally found him in the back corner, a slut on his lap, her bare breasts

  bobbing in his face. Her temper sparked, despite the bored look on his face. Mina pushed her way through the crowd, not stopping until she reached her mate. The girl in his lap looked her up and down, but Mina didn’t give her a chance to say anything. She reached out, grabbed a handful of overly teased hair, yanked her off Spark’s lap then shoved her in the floor.

  “You bitch!” the woman shrieked.

  “Shut it, Jeanine,” Spark said, his gaze locked on Mina.

  “Who the hell is she to throw me in the floor like trash?” Jeanine demanded.

  Mina snorted. “You are trash, you over-dyed, under-educated slattern.”

  “What did you call me?” The woman looked truly baffled.

  “She’s my mate,” Spark said. “Make yourself scarce, Jeanine.”

  She didn’t look happy about it, but she wandered off. Probably looking for

  someone else to fuck for the night. It made Mina wonder just how far Spark had been willing to go. Would he have slept with her? Or was she merely a decoration so

  everyone in the club would think all was right in his world? He looked haunted. There were shadows under his eyes and he looked thinner than he had last time she’d seen him. It had only been a few weeks, but the days without her had obviously taken their toll.

  “It’s good to see you,” he said, standing to pull a chair out for her. “Why don’t you sit down?”

  “Can we go somewhere less smoky? Maybe outside?” Her father was outside,

  but Spark didn’t have to know that. Granted, there was a chance he’d turn tail and run once he saw Shadow was with her, but it was a chance she was willing to take.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know that I trust myself to be

  alone with you. The past few weeks…” He sighed. “It’s been hell without you, Mina.

  You’re constantly on my mind and I wake several times a night, reaching for you. My beast knows you’re supposed to be there, lying beside us, and I think he’s pissed at me for not making it happen.”

  She reached out and lightly gripped his arm, giving him a slight tug. “Come on.

  Let’s go talk.”

  He seemed to meekly follow her and she wondered what happened to her

  badass biker while she was gone. Spark looked like a shell compared to the man she’d left behind. Surely her leaving hadn’t bothered him that much. Maybe he was kicking his own ass over letting her slip away? She’d never know if he didn’t talk to her.

  They stepped out onto the porch and let the doors close behind them.

  “What made you come back, Mina? If your father knew where you were…” He

  let the words trail off and she studied him in the moonlight.

  “Daddy knows where I am. Don’t worry about that. As to why I came back, why

  wouldn’t I return to my mate?”

  He winced. “We can’t be mates, Mina. You’re a Silver Skull, the princess of the pack. I’m beneath you, and even if you father would give his blessing, where would we live? I can’t take you from your pack and drop you into an M.C. where women are slim to none. There are only two other mates right now. When the older members decided to start a new charter in Florida and retire, they took the mates with them. Only single males are left in the Steel Riders.”

  “Why don’t you let me worry about where I want to live?” she asked with a

  hand propped on her hip. “Quit trying to make decisions for me. You did that before when you ran away and now you’re doing it again. Did it not occur to you that maybe I came here to live with you?”

  “Mina, I don’t hold rank in the Steel Riders. I’m not an officer of the club. Why would your father approve of me?”

  She moved closer to him, placing her hands on his chest. “Because you love me,”

  she said softly. “You can’t deny it. I can see that my leaving was hard on you. It’s been hard on me too.”

  “You’re awfully damn pretty for someone who’s been torn up over our

  separation.”

  “Is that you’re way of telling me you still think I’m beautiful?”

  “It’s only been three weeks. It’s not likely I’d have changed my mind in such a short amount of time. You’ll always be gorgeous to me, Mina.”

  “Spark, you have to talk to me and tell me what’s wrong. You can’t deny that

  you’re different than when I left.”

  He smiled faintly. “You mean I look like hell. I haven’t been sleeping, and not just because of you not being in my bed. My club was so furious when they found out what I’d done, they almost kicked me out. I spent a week cooling my heels, not allowed to attend any club events or meetings, wondering if my life was pretty much over.

  They’re letting me stay, but I’m on probation of sorts. If I so much as screw in a lightbulb wrong in the next year, I’m out.”

  Her father stepped out of the shadows and stopped behind Spark. “Do you love

  my daughter?”

  Spark flinched and turned to face Shadow. “I feel something for her, sir, but I have no idea what love feels like. I know that I want her in my life, that I want her face to be the first thing I see every morning. But is that love?”

  Shadow folded his arms over his massive chest. “My Mina deserves someone to

  love her and worship the ground she walks on. She also deserves a man and not a mouse. You sound more like a mouse right now.”

  Spark didn’t deny the charge.

  “Your club is giving you trouble?” Shadow asked.

  “Not exactly. I brought it on myself by claiming Mina without your permission,

  and behind their backs. She was entrusted into my care and I betrayed everyone by letting my beast rule me. He knew she was our destined mate and couldn’t hold back from claiming her.”

  Shadow’s lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. “If I know my daughter, she didn’t make it easy on you. Once she sets her mind on something, she’s like a dog with a bone.

  Or more accurately, a wolf with a freshly killed deer. She doesn’t let go.”

  “No, sir. She doesn’t,” Spark agreed. “But I don’t hold her responsible for my

  actions. If you’re going to punish someone, it shoul
d be me. Don’t take it out on my club.”

  “Boy, if I was going to go after your club, I’d have done it by now. And frankly, I think your Pres is a snot-nosed, whiny child for punishing you for following your instincts. Sometimes our beasts have to rule us, especially if a mate is near. Your Pres is obviously not mated since he doesn’t understand that concept. Mine may be gone, but I remember what it was like being around her when we were young. She was taken from us too soon, and I doubt I’ll ever find another mate.” He shrugged. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t remember what love feels like. I saw the look in my daughter’s eyes when she talked about you. She loves you, even if you aren’t so sure. Maybe you need some time to figure it out.”

  “I don’t understand. You’re taking Mina away again?” Spark asked.

  “No, son. I’m going to take you away. I think you need to come spend some time

  with the Silver Skulls. Get to know Mina better, introduce yourself to her brothers—

  who don’t know about you by the way, so expect some trouble there.”

  “I’m not sure my club will agree…”

  Shadow waved away his concern. “You let me worry about those overgrown

  children.”

  “Yes, sir. If you can work things out, I’d be honored to stay with your club and spend more time with Mina. I just hope the Steel Riders don’t decide they’re better off without me while I’m gone.”

  Shadow patted him on the shoulder. “I’m sure everything will work out fine

  with your club, but if they do ever kick you out, you make sure you come pay me a visit. There will always be a place for you with the Silver Skulls. No way I’m letting my only daughter’s mate go without a brotherhood.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Now. You go pack. Take Mina with you. She can place your bags in her car, and

  then you can follow her back to the homestead. You’ll have to be with her to get through the gate anyway.”

  Spark nodded and moved down the steps toward his bike.

  “You don’t live here?” Mina asked.