"He did that?"

"Don't kid yourself that I was someone who deserved your daughter and lost control in a moment of despair, that I'm just terribly misunderstood. When I heard she was dead, I felt guilty and angry with myself, but it could never have touched me the way it touched you. We weren't mates, Viv."

The hopeful gleam didn't leave her eyes. "I can't accept that. Maybe once all this is over with Darryl you could come with me to visit her grave and -"

He held up his hand. "Viv, I get that you might wish you could have someone to sit there and grieve with you for your daughter, who saw her as special and who you can share stories with, but...I can't be that someone."

"Maybe if I showed you some of her pictures and -"

"Viv, you're not listening to me."

"Because you're wrong."

"No, I'm not. Taryn is my true mate." He didn't like the way she snarled at Taryn's name and nor did his wolf. "Don't you do that. I get that you're upset, but Taryn's my mate and I won't have you disrespect her in any way, just as you wouldn't with your mate."

The stiffness left her spine and she sighed. "I'm sorry, that was disrespectful. She seems like quite a character."

"She is."

"And you're happy with her? She cares for you?"

He nodded. "Even though I'm about as emotional as a broomstick, even though I'm not giving her what she needs. She doesn't judge me for being the way I am. She's so different from me it's not even funny. Taryn's it for me."

Viv's expression softened. "Then I'm happy for you. I won't lie and say I'm glad Summer wasn't your true mate, but that's because I selfishly wish I had some sort of connection left to her. What you have is what's best for you, and that's what I should be thinking about, not me."

"Then you're okay?"

She nodded, a half-smile now on her face. "I'm okay." She bowed her head respectfully. "Take care, Trey. I really am glad you're happy." With that, she strolled over to the waiting vehicles and hopped into the backseat of one. Then the cars were beeping in goodbye and driving off.

"I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them can't resist taunting Darryl over his failed attack on Taryn," said Dante as he and Tao came to stand beside Trey.

"Hearing Taryn wasn't hurt and you're onto his little tricks will make him unbelievably p.i.s.sed," said Tao.

Trey nodded, sighing. "It's a satisfying thought." But he couldn't smile about it like Dante and Tao were. Although he was pleased to know that not all of his old pack was against him, the overriding issue for him was that there was still a threat to his mate walking the earth. That was unacceptable to him and his wolf.

He wondered if Taryn had any real idea of just how difficult it was for him to simply sit back and then go after Darryl in his own time. The need to avenge pecked at him constantly, demanding he go dish out his own personal brand of justice. The whole thing was making him restless, giving him that nagging feeling like the kind he got when there was something he'd forgotten to do. Only this time he knew exactly what he needed to do, and it went totally against his very nature to ignore it.

Now that their cars were no longer in sight, Trey headed back to the caves.

Dante sighed. "I've got a feeling that Don will want to know everything that's going on he'll be p.i.s.sed to hear his niece was attacked."

"Do you think Nick will be willing to join us for the battle?" Tao asked Trey.

"There's only one way to find out." As Trey was making his way to the kitchen, he heard the words 'hussy', 'disrespectful' and 'common' clearly Greta was taking a pop at Taryn again. Then he heard his mate's voice.

"No need to take it out on me that you're so wrinkled you have to screw your hat on."

And just like that, he was smiling.

"Do you see what I have to put up with? She's always talking to me like this," said Greta, outraged presumably talking to Don, Nick and Derren.

"You know, I hear that bathing nightly in the blood of virgins is scientifically proven to reduce the effects of old age. Maybe you should try it."

Entering the kitchen, Trey went straight to where Taryn was perched on the counter and insinuated himself between her swinging legs. He took her mouth in a searing kiss that he hoped told her everything he didn't know how to say. Near her, surrounded by her scent, he could breathe better. It was odd how this tiny little female could anchor him the way she did. She really was the only thing keeping him rational right now and he wondered if she knew it, felt the weight of that responsibility. Maybe she did, and maybe she felt how close he was to the edge, because she gave him what he hadn't even known he needed until then. She wrapped all her limbs around him and just held him to her.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

Trey was smiling as he made his way to the kitchen four mornings later. Waking up to the feel of his mate's plush lips around his c.o.c.k could do that to a guy. Entering the room, he found a sight that made him halt. Gritting his teeth, he tore his eyes away and glanced at the people around him. Every member of his pack was there, though none of them had acknowledged his entrance. Each were occupied with either eating, staring into their coffee mug, or toying with their cell phone...as if there wasn't a small pile of gifts in the center of the table.

The pack knew better than to mark his birthday in any way, shape or form Trey wasn't the celebratory type and he didn't like being fussed over. It wasn't that he didn't understand why other people would want to mark their own special occasions, it was just that Trey didn't like that whole 'center of attention' thing. His pack knew that. There was only one member who would ignore that and force 'fun' on him.

He zoomed in on his little mate who was sitting on the counter as usual, dipping mini cookies in her coffee. Slowly he approached her, but she didn't look up until he s.n.a.t.c.hed the mug from her hand.

"Hey!" whined Taryn, not even slightly surprised by Trey's reaction.

"What's all that about?" He gestured with his thumb at the table behind him.

"What?" she asked innocently. "Oh you mean the gifts."

"Oh I mean the gifts."

"Well it's like this: it's your birthday, people get gifts on their birthday, and we're all nice, kind people who wanted to buy you something."

Trey copied her innocent shrug. "It's like that, huh?"

"Yes, and you're very welcome." If she hadn't been sure that it would have been taking things too far for Trey, they would all have sang 'happy birthday' as he walked in.

"If people told you that my birthday was today, then they'll have also told you that I don't like to celebrate it. So why exactly have you ignored that?"

"Let me ask you something. If it had been my birthday, would you have ignored it?"

"If you had wanted me to then yes, I would've," he lied.

"I hope you're not going to make a habit of talking out of your a.s.s because liars go to h.e.l.l." Gripping him by the shirt, she pulled him to stand between her legs. "Come on, Trey, it's only a few gifts and then a fun day out."

"No."

She followed after him as he stalked out the room. Once in the tunnel she leapt onto his back. "Can't you see I took pity on you? There're no banners or balloons and n.o.body sang anything." His response was a Ryan-like grunt. "Wouldn't you like to see what I bought for you? Aren't you just a little curious?"

He was, but he couldn't let her know that. She'd pounce on that weakness and use it against him.

"How about we make a deal," she proposed as they neared his office which she knew he had every intention of locking himself in.

"No deals, Taryn."

"That's a shame," she said as she slid down his back exhaling a heavy sigh. "It means I went to Victoria's Secret for nothing." She watched in satisfaction as he stopped still with his hand on the doork.n.o.b.

"Victoria's Secret?" he repeated without turning.

"Yeah, but never mind." She went to return to the kitchen, but then he spoke.

"Out of curiosity..."

She twirled to see that he was still facing the office door. "Well, I bought this kinky little babydoll, all black lace like the one I tried on that time when I was tormenting you."

He cleared his throat. "Black lace?"

"Yeah." She took a few steps toward the kitchen, knowing what was coming next.

"What was this deal you had in mind?" he called after her as he finally turned. He was well aware that she had played him, but only an idiot would miss out on this.

She faced him and shrugged. "I was just going to propose that if you try to enjoy yourself and celebrate your birthday with us, then later for one whole hour I'll let you do whatever you want to me. I'll be kind of like your s.e.x toy."

His c.o.c.k jerked and quickly began to harden. "Anything I want?"

The look in his eyes told her that she was going to regret this, but Taryn was determined to make him learn to enjoy himself a little and she wasn't above using s.e.xual bribes to do it. "Anything you want."

He approached her slowly, his eyes narrowed. "You sure you can live up to your half of the bargain, Taryn? You can't make a guy a promise like that and expect him to go easy."

"You've never gone easy."

"I'm serious, Taryn, don't make this deal unless you can stick to it."

"I think I can handle whatever you've got in mind, Flinstone."

"Well we'll find out soon, won't we?"

Smiling triumphantly, she took his hand. "Don't forget you've got to live up to your part of the deal first."

Reluctantly Trey allowed her to lead him back into the kitchen and over to the table. She nodded at the gifts, but he didn't select one. He felt a contrary mix of stupid for what he was about to do, curious at what the gifts actually were, and h.o.r.n.y about the devilish deal he had just made. Rolling her eyes, Taryn picked up one of the small gift-wrapped boxes and handed it to him. He stared at it for a full minute before making a tear in the wrapping, but then he stopped. Oddly enough, it wasn't because he still felt dumb, but because the antic.i.p.ation was getting to him and he worried that he might actually enjoy the next few minutes. Like a big kid.

Black lace babydoll, black lace babydoll, he chanted to himself. And then he tore off the wrapping.

To his total surprise, he got some weird kind of rush. Before he knew it he'd torn the paper from each and every one and even felt a tiny bit disappointed to find that there was no more. He hadn't even minded opening the cards. It was kind of fun reading all the jokes in them. The gifts were actually pretty decent especially the beer. Oh and the s.e.x toys for him to use on Taryn were definitely welcome. She hadn't seemed particularly happy with Dominic for buying those.

Trey had been surprised that not only had she bought him a designer shirt and a new cell phone, but she had bought him a voucher for a Ferrari Driving Experience.

"With an experienced instructor you can go on a range of circuits driving a Ferrari at all kinds of ridiculous speeds that will have me panicking for you," she explained.

It freaked Trey out that this female knew him better than he knew himself. He wouldn't have thought that such an experience would have appealed to him, but as he held the voucher in his hands, he felt a buzz of excitement. Leaning down, he nipped her bottom lip. It wasn't what anyone would call a proper thank you, but her self-satisfied smile indicated that she knew he was happy with the gifts.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it," she said, poking his chest.

"I don't know why you insisted on all this," griped Greta. "If he doesn't want to celebrate his birthday he shouldn't have to." Seeing that Taryn was staring at her, she growled, "What, hussy?"

Taryn shook her head as if to clear it. "Sorry, I was just imagining you wearing a shock collar while I held the remote."

"Oh there she goes again giving me att.i.tude."

"Not giving it, returning it."

Knowing this could go on for a while if he didn't distract them, Trey pulled Taryn against him. He whispered into her ear, "Now for a preview of the black lace babydoll..."

She shook her head, whispering, "Oh no, not 'til later. Fun time first."

Fun, thought Trey a few hours later as he gazed up in disbelief. It was true he didn't know much about it, but he was pretty sure now that his and Taryn's ideas of fun were going to be very different. "I'm not going on that thing."

Taryn gaped as she heard the nervousness in his tone. "Trey, you've got to be kidding me. It's a rollercoaster."

"It's a deathtrap, that's what it is." And how she could say 'rollercoaster' in the same tone that someone might use for the word 'kitten' was beyond Trey's understanding.

"I think we might have finally found something that can shake our Alpha up," said Dante.

Trey scowled, running his gaze along his smirking enforcers. "I'm not scared of going on it, I'm just not convinced it's safe."

Marcus nodded, fighting fruitlessly to keep a straight face. "Sure."

"There's no way I'm letting you go on that thing either," Trey told Taryn.

She snorted. "Just when I thought you might have realized you can't control me, you try it again." She took his wrist and led him a little further through the fairground entrance. "Don't worry, Flinstone, that big bad ride's for later. We'll prep you first."

"Prep me?"

"We'll take you on some other stuff first. Once all that adrenaline's pumping through your system you'll be gearing to get on that ride."

He snorted. "No amount of adrenaline will have me feeling suicidal."

In truth, he wasn't keen on going on any of the rides. He hadn't even wanted to come, but she had insisted he would love it and she had been so excited that it was kind of contagious. Others from the pack had been easily infected and before long Trey found himself being pulled into the backseat of his Toyota to sit with his mate as she led him to his death, it seemed.

Trey curled his arm around her and kept her close as they walked through the crowds, pa.s.sed tents, stalls and side-shows. The tantalising smells of cotton candy, popcorn, fries, hotdogs, burgers, onions and donuts drifted through the night air, making him feel suddenly hungry.

Everywhere bright colored lights were blazing, flashing and sparkling crazily. Screams, laughter, and a discordant mix of music came from every direction, irritating his wolf. There was really only one word to describe the place: eccentric. Fairgrounds were eccentric.

"You'll like this."

Trey followed Taryn's gaze but couldn't see the ride itself due to the crowds. He arched a brow at the large colorful sign above it. "What the h.e.l.l are b.u.mper Cars?"

"You can't figure that out by yourself?"

He smiled at how his tiny little mate was able to push pa.s.sed the throngs of people like she was as big as...well, him. Then she was pointing to a roofed metal rectangular track on which several small electric cars surrounded by rubber b.u.mpers and topped with large poles were dashing around and hurtling into each other. "You're supposed to crash into the others...on purpose?"

Although his tone said he didn't see the logic in the ride, Taryn could feel that he was intrigued. It was kind of cute seeing her serious, intense mate like this. Usually he was always so sure of himself and completely confident no matter his surroundings. A fairground, however, wasn't a place where anyone could easily maintain a serious air. People were helplessly drawn into the fun, even if it was just to laugh at other people making idiots out of themselves. She had known that Trey would be a little out of his element here because this wasn't the kind of atmosphere he was used to. "You're a boy. Boys like to crash things. You'll like it."