Free Saving Margaret by Krystal Shannan

up.”
    Muffled snorts of laughter erupted from a couple of Keith’s brothers, allowing Scott to relax his stance slightly. He wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but he sure as hell wasn’t declaring war on the Council without at least chatting with his parents again.
    Even then, this was uncharted territory. The Council had governed the supernatural communities for thousands of years. They would not take lightly to a mutiny.
    “What’s your plan for the Council’s retaliation?”
    “We will fight,” answered Keith. “The pack is in agreement over this. You were the only wild card inside the pack.”
    “Does Margaret know?”
    “Yes,” he nodded.
    Scott sucked in a quick breath. That’s what she’d kept from him. He turned and slipped around the corner out of the living room.
    “Margaret!” he roared. All he could think about was that she’d known. He’d been blindsided by her dad and she had known all along. “You better not be in a fucking bathroom, because I’ll just take the door out of the frame this time.”
    “We are all outside, Scott,” Margaret’s mother, Rachel, called from the patio. “The girls went for a quick run.”
    He stalked out the back door. Four wolves were sprawled out on the floor around Rachel and a couple of other ladies. He recognized Breena, but the other’s names escaped his mind.
    “Uh oh,” Breena piped up and smirked at Scott. “Are the girls playing hard to get?”
    A loud huff in her direction wiped the smile off her face. The sandy wolf with black markings barked, but didn’t move. He swung his gaze down to meet her brown eyes. She held her ground and didn’t cower.
    Brave girl.
    “Change.” His voice rumbled with authority. Magick rolled in waves from his body. The three other wolves beside her fled.
    “What is going on, Scott?” Rachel Taylor stood up and stepped between him and his mate. His bear was not pleased and a menacing growl escaped his throat. The Beta’s wife’s eyes sparked yellow, but Scott ignored her and moved to the right until he had locked gazes with Margaret’s wolf again.
    “Leave us,” he bellowed. He was a strong alpha and the women began to move aside. Even Rachel stepped away, leaving Margaret to face an angry mate.
    “Stop,” Keith’s voice carried out across the patio. “You have no right. My daughter was following my express —”
    “She withheld information vital to protecting her,” Scott snarled, turning to face the Taylor alpha. Keith snarled back. Scott didn’t care. No wolf had ever intimidated him and it wouldn’t start with Keith Taylor. “You ordered her to lie to her mate. I have every right. She is mine.” He swung back around to face Margaret. “Change!” His roar echoed under the porch awning and Margaret shifted instantly.
    The mate bond between them flared with magick. Her connection to the pack was weakening. As it should be. She was his mate and they would not stay with her pack after the bond was completed.
     
    ***
     
    Margaret stood slowly before her mate. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer. The power of Scott’s magick completely overwhelmed her ability to control the shifting. Her wolf submitted willingly, even though they were not fully mated.
    She crossed her arms over her bare breasts and waited calmly for Scott to speak. He just stared, his eyes greedily devouring her nakedness. Nudity around family, especially after shifting wasn’t uncommon, but she suddenly felt very exposed. Her body heated and her sex swelled as her arousal grew. Even her nipples betrayed her and pebbled, enticing her mate to approach and admire.
    He stepped closer and leaned down, putting his mouth next to her ear.
    “I’m not pleased with you.”
    The fullness of his pants led her mind in a completely different direction and the corners of her mouth curled up into a smirk. “I think you are.”
    He huffed.
    “You know what I mean.”
    “I was following orders.” Even if he wasn’t used to