“No. I shouldn’t have called up to the main house…”
“Elizabeth, it’s fine.” Marissa waved a hand—unfortunately, it was the hand still holding her torn bra.
Elizabeth gasped as Logan and Greg laughed out loud.
Whipping her hand behind her back, Marissa pulled on the other one, and Gage finally released her. When she would have run upstairs, he put a firm arm around her waist and held her in place.
Marissa wished the floor would open and swallow her. But instead of making excuses about what had obviously happened, Gage just held her tight against him. Knowing he needed a way out and away from her, she tried to come up with anything she could to get rid of him.
“I need to take a shower,” Marissa said to no one in particular. She was surprised when Gage smiled down at her and turned to the others.
“Gentlemen, why don’t we leave the ladies to clean up and have lunch?”
Everyone agreed and the men headed for the door.
“I will see you later tonight, Marissa,” he whispered in her ear before releasing her and walking away.
Marissa waited for the front door to close before lifting her head. Her sister stood with her arms crossed over her chest and the look of disapproval written all over her face.
“Don’t,” she warned Elizabeth.
“You didn’t learn the first time?” Elizabeth asked, concern evident in her tone and by the softening of her expression.
“It was an accident.”
“An accident?” her sister repeated with no amusement. “Tell me, just how do you accidentally get naked and have sex with the Pack Alpha?”
“How do you know I had sex with him?”
Elizabeth just lifted a brow.
“Okay, fine, I had sex with him!” Marissa started out the room.
“Why?” Elizabeth asked, following.
“It’s not like I planned it.” She couldn’t explain it to her sister until she was able to explain it to herself yet.
“Marissa, he is my Alpha.” Elizabeth’s voice rose, and it reminded her of when they were kids and Marissa had once again gotten herself in some sort of trouble.
“I know.”
“I can’t believe you did this.” The disappointment she heard doubled the guilt Marissa already felt.
Reaching the guestroom, she pushed the door open. “You know, he did have a say in the matter.”
“Yes, he did.” Elizabeth sighed. “I’m sorry, but you know what happened last time. This is my Pack, and that is my Alpha. I won’t let you ruin that for me.”
When Marissa turned, her eyes burned with tears. “I didn’t mean to ruin anything.”
Elizabeth’s sigh was audible. “You know that male wolves for some reason think they are above the law. I’m sure Gage wasn’t thinking about it at the time, but you should have.”
Marissa knew she should have. “I’m sure he thought he would be able to keep it quiet. Brandon always told me not to tell anyone about us and I’m sure that’s what Gage will tell me later.”
“If this got out…” Elizabeth took a step back and had tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth.” Marissa couldn’t be any sorrier for her actions. Once again, she would be responsible for them losing everything.
Her sister sent her a sad smile. “Maybe it would be best if you left. Tonight.”
“Okay.” Turning towards the bathroom, Marissa felt the first tear fall. It would be best. For everyone concerned.
“We have a problem,” Logan walked into the Alpha’s office without knocking.
“What?” Gage looked up from the papers in front of him.
“Greg just called. Elizabeth sent Marissa home.”
“She what?” Gage’s voice rose as he jumped up.
Logan took a step back. “After we left, Elizabeth sent Marissa back to California. She’s probably already to the gate.”
Yanking up the phone, Gage had to control his temper to keep from crushing the piece of plastic.
“Guard house,” the guard on duty answered.
“Tom. Has Marissa Boyd driven through yet?”
“No, Alpha. No one’s been through for about fifteen minutes, and that was Sammy and Kyle.”
“She doesn’t leave,” Gage told him.
“But–”
“Don’t let her out,” he ordered. “I’m on my way.” Slamming down the phone, he turned to Logan. “Get Elizabeth up here now.”
Logan nodded and backed out of the room.
“What do you mean I can’t leave?” Marissa banged her fist on the steering wheel. She shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d known Gage wasn’t finished with her.
He didn’t understand that she had to leave. For both their sakes. She knew she should have said goodbye but had decided to take the coward’s way out.
“Open the gate!” she ordered to the poor guard. It really wasn’t his fault.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I have orders you are not to leave territory.”
“I don’t care what your orders are. I’m not a Pack member and you can’t keep me here.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.”
“Listen here, let me out!” she pleaded almost desperately. She had to get out of there. It was best for the Pack. They had to understand that.
“No, he won’t.”
Marissa jumped as Gage came around the side of the car. “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, although she was afraid she knew.
Gage nodded to his guard, who looked relieved to be dismissed from dealing with her. “Where are you going?” Gage kept his voice low and calm. His eyes were hard as he looked at her.
She looked away from him. Guilt and shame kept her from meeting his gaze.
“I asked you where you were going,” he said sharply.
Tightening her hands on the wheel, Marissa kept looking straight ahead. “Home.”
Gage yanked the car door open. “Move over.”
“No.”
Reaching down and unbuckling her seat belt, he pushed her towards the passenger seat. She didn’t have any choice but to move before he sat down in the driver’s seat.
“Hey! Hey! You can’t do this!” She grabbed at his wrists and hands.
Gage ignored her and put the car in reserve.
“Gage, stop!”
When the road was wide enough, he turned the car and headed back towards the houses.
“Gage, please stop.” She didn’t want to fight with him. She didn’t want him to give her the lecture she knew was coming.
“Let me leave, please. On my own. I promise not to come back.”
“Let you leave?” His voice rose. “Do you really think I’m just going to let you take off without a word?”
“This isn’t about you, Gage. I…I just have to leave.”
“No. You’re not running, Marissa.”
“She asked me to leave!”
Gage looked over at her as he navigated the road. “Because of me.”
Marissa looked away.
“That’s what I thought.”
She sat quietly next to Gage. She didn’t have anything more to say.
Elizabeth sat with her hands in her lap, nervously rubbing them together. She hadn’t expected Gage to take her sister’s leaving well, but she hadn’t expected to be ordered to his office.
She glared at her future mate who stood next to the bar talking quietly with Logan. Greg had called Logan when Elizabeth explained why Marissa had left. Greg hadn’t been happy either. Didn’t they understand she was trying to protect them and everyone in the Pack?
She jumped up when Gage walked in with her sister in tow.
“Sit,” he snapped at Marissa, pointing to a chair.
Elizabeth saw her sister start to refuse until Gage turned those fierce grey eyes on her.