younger man with the scarred face as Micah Chase, Rowanâs brother. One side of his face was like melted wax from being tortured months ago while in captivity. The evil scientist whoâd held him and many other shifters had poured molten silver on him, ensuring the tissue would never heal. She shoved down the stirring of pity, sensing the young wolf wouldnât appreciate it.
âWe got called out,â Micah said, jogging up. âOh, hi, Princess Calla. Sorry to interrupt.â
âJust Calla, and no worries,â she assured him. Seemed Nickâs gut feeling that he needed to return had been spot-on.
âWhat type of call, and when did it come in?â Nick was all business now, standing straight and tall, his own problems forgotten. Every inch the Packâs Alpha wolf.
Secretly, it gave her a bit of a thrill to watch him work.
âAbout two minutes ago. Thereâs a group of hunters attacking a coven of vampires about fifty miles from here. We gotta skate. They canât hold out much longer.â
Nick turned to Calla, but she held up a hand. âGo. Iâll be fine.â
âEither stay here until I get back or go straight home,â he ordered firmly. âI donât want you without protection with hunters running around here.â
âIâll go home. Promise.â She gave him a smile, and his face softened a tad.
âIâll talk to you soon.â
With that, the commander turned and jogged with Micah toward the hangar. Calla was so intrigued by the sway of his tight ass as he ran, she hadnât noticed that someone else had joined her.
âQuite the sight, isnât he?â a womanâs voice teased.
Calla turned her head to see Selene, Nickâs daughter, observing her with humor etched on her angular face. Great, sheâd been busted ogling the womanâs father.
âHeâs passable enough.â She shrugged.
Selene laughed. âHa! You were staring at his backside like he was a nice juicy steak, so donât even try that with me. He seemed pretty into you, too.â
âI donât know. Maybe.â
The other womanâs smile turned contemplative. Suddenly, she leaned toward Calla and sniffed.âHoly shit, his scent is all over you. That old dog, he marked you good, didnât he?â
âM-marked me?â
âYeah,â Selene drawled. âOldest shifter mating ritual on record, girlfriend, especially with born wolves. The male marks his female to warn off other guys. Guess which ritual is the second oldest.â
Nickâs daughter was fucking with her, and enjoying herself immensely. But that didnât make what she said any less true. Calla had heard about the marking thingâsheâd just never encountered an example firsthand.
Calla drew herself up and looked Selene straight in the eye. She wasnât sure whether she was being mocked, or merely teased in a good-natured manner. âI like your father a lot,â she said directly. âIâm drawn to him as well, and to be honest there could be more than mere attraction there. Is that going to be a problem?â
Sheâd said as much as she could to the woman without revealing she was pretty sure Nick was her mate. Nick deserved to hear those words first, when the time was right.
âNot at all,â Selene said, dropping the teasing. Her expression was warm, and she seemed genuine when she spoke again. âI want nothing more than to see Dad happy. Heâs been on the edge of a cliff, and if youâre the one who can pull him back, Iâll be thrilled.â
âMe, too. And thank you. I donât know whatâs going to happen, but itâs good to know we have support.â
âAlways. Not just from me, either, but from everyone.â
Impulsively, Calla pulled Selene into a hug. The other woman appeared surprised at first, then returned the gesture with enthusiasm. Then she stepped back and