“Maybe,” said Shaya.

Miranda sighed. “I’m glad to hear there has been no more trouble.”

As Miranda’s gaze returned to him, Derren followed his wolf’s instinct and protectively shifted a little closer to Ally. And that was when he understood the cause of his tension. It wasn’t that he felt personally threatened by Miranda; it was that he viewed her as a potential danger to Ally. It was a supposition that was nothing more than paranoia, really, and it reminded him of the way Nick acted when outsiders were around Shaya. Clearly his Alpha male was rubbing off on him.

Obviously identifying the move as a protective gesture, Miranda’s azure-blue eyes took in Ally, sizing her up. “And who is this, Derren?”

Well, that made Ally and her wolf bristle. Failing to address her directly was an insult. She spoke before Derren could respond. “I’m Ally.”

Miranda stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. Ally didn’t. “Friend of yours?” the Alpha female asked Derren.

Surprising Ally, it was Roni who answered. “A very good friend.” The implication that the relationship was sexual was right there in the enforcer’s tone. Oh, that evoked strong emotions from Miranda. Up until then, no real emotion had tainted the air around Miranda. But now, malice and spite slithered over Ally, making her skin feel raw like she’d been scratching at it for days. Miranda’s lust for Derren was dark with greed. It wasn’t so much Derren that she wanted but the opportunity to rule and possess him. Her wolf snarled, ears flattening.

Miranda arched a brow at Ally. “Is that so?”

Ally thought about simply ignoring the question. After all, getting involved in Roni’s “let’s annoy the creepy bitch” game might not be the wisest idea, since conflict between neighbors never ended well; she didn’t want to cause trouble for the Mercury wolves. But what came out of Ally’s mouth was: “Yes, it is.” And Roni couldn’t have looked any happier.

Those words surprised Derren and brought a satisfied growl from his wolf. Ally publicly admitting their relationship was a claim of sorts. Derren wondered, however, if Ally even realized what she’d done. Since the first night he’d taken her, she’d been very careful not to mark him again, which pissed off his wolf. Derren didn’t like it much either—particularly since the drive to brand her over and over was like a fever in his veins.

Feeling the urge to push Ally, to see how far she’d go to reinforce her claim, Derren began to possessively play his fingers through Ally’s hair as Shaya distracted Miranda with a conversation about shoes.

Sensing the silent challenge, his expectation that she would back down, Ally slipped her hand onto his thigh instead. As she’d told Shaya, Ally never backed down. His response was to nip her earlobe. She rubbed her cheek against his jaw, smiling at the low rumble that vibrated in his chest. That rumble snatched Miranda’s attention, and her eyes slammed on them. Malice once again crawled over Ally.

“It’s a relief to hear that everything’s fine.” Miranda looked from Nick to Shaya. “I don’t expect you to confide in me, but I’d just like to reiterate that if you decide you need my backing against an enemy, I am willing to give you my support.”

Most likely at the cost of their souls, thought Derren.

Rising, Miranda shot Derren another sultry smile. “Maybe you could escort me and my enforcers to the border of your territory.”

“Nick and I will do that,” Shaya quickly offered. “I know Derren is busy.”

The moment Miranda left, Ally’s wolf settled down. Although Ally bristled at the idea of another female having any interest in Derren, she was slightly amused by the discomfort she’d sensed it caused him. “So. Miranda . . . Little old for you, Derren, isn’t she?” Ally teased. The others chuckled.

His nostrils flared. He was really tired of taking shit about it. “You think this is funny?”

Ally’s chuckle burst free. “Oh, come on. You would if the situation was reversed.”

Wrong. He’d be pissed. He didn’t like even the thought of anyone else wanting her. His wolf became infuriated at the idea of anyone coveting Ally.

Resisting the temptation to tease him further, Ally said, “I’m heading back to my lodge. You coming, or do you have more work to do?”

In actuality, Derren had plenty of work to do. But he wanted time with Ally. More specifically, he wanted time alone with Ally. “I’m done for today.” Having said good-bye to everyone, they strolled out into the warm evening. “Let’s take a little detour before we head back.”

“Where are we going?” she asked curiously. He didn’t answer. After a reasonably short walk through the forest, they neared a clearing Ally didn’t recognize. She could hear the river close by. “Seriously, where are we going?”

Derren chuckled. He’d fast learned she wasn’t the most patient of people. Stepping into the clearing, he pointed. “There. See.”

Yes, Ally did see. Her mouth dropped open. “It’s . . . wow.” Adjacent to the river were three hot springs framed by a formation of rocks. “Are they natural?”

“Yep. The third one is the coolest. Come on, strip.”

They both kicked off their shoes and shed their clothes before sinking into the water. It was just the right temperature, and Ally sighed in pleasure.

“You can’t make that noise right now,” Derren told her as he draped his arms over the rocks behind him.