Prime Selection Read Online Free Page B

like it when I’m naked under my clothing. Admit it.” She nipped his chin, then soothed the spot with her tongue, uncaring that others stared. “It took you all evening to figure it out, though. You’re slipping.”
    Wulf eyed the room populated with Prime Elder Council members and their families and myriad members of the various branches of the Caradoc family. He growled low, in the back of his throat. She let out an exasperated breath. This was one of his kill-someone snarls, not one of the I-want-to-fuck-you growls. His aura read as jealous of male eyes on her—and of fear.
    “Wulf?” She stroked the muscle pulsing in his jaw. “Are you sensing a danger I’m not?”
    She opened her empathic abilities to the room and found no trace of a killing rage, just some low-level animosity, lots of curiosity, and a goodly amount of jealousy aimed in their direction. She shared her findings with him telepathically, but his tension remained. She attempted to access his thoughts through the psi connection that was a part of their unique battle-mate bond, but his prodigious mental shields were up. “Talk to me.”
    Wulf took the hand stroking his face in his and kissed her fingertips and traced her palm with his tongue. “Even though there is no direct threat in the room, I’m worried about your safety. The mood could change in a nanosecond. There are too many people here—most of whom I do not even like. Some of them would kill you without blinking an eye. My father’s insistence on these fetes is insane.”
    “I’m fine. We’re fine.” She rubbed his chest over the area where the mark that made him hers could be found, soothing him in a way unique to bonded Prime mates. “The parties are necessary for political reasons.”
    Her efforts weren’t working. “Stop growling. You’re giving me a headache—and scaring the natives.” She smiled at an Elder Council member who approached them. He eyed Wulf with fear and retreated.
    The older man had good instincts. If the poor man had said one wrong word, Wulf would’ve exploded. Her mate’s temper had been on an extremely short leash since her kidnapping two weeks ago.
    “Two more days and all the parties will be over.” Mel rubbed Wulf’s back under his black evening jacket until the buzz-saw-like rumbling ceased. Tomorrow evening, there’d be another ball to introduce her as Wulf’s gemate, and the first battle-mate since the Berean Wars, to the upper echelon of Prime society. And the day after, there would be a day-long, open-air festival to introduce her to any Prime citizen who wished to attend.
    Her father-in-law Ilar Caradoc, the hereditary leader of the Cejuru solar system, was footing the bill for all the celebrations. He and Beria understood the potential for danger, but had felt the Prime as a people needed to see Wulf and Mel.
    For many Prime citizens, Mel, one of the Lost Ones, was a miracle, and the people were elated to celebrate her return. There was now hope other Lost Ones would be found when Gold went on their first mission with Wulf’s Prime crews merged into the Alliance Gold crews.
    The couple’s bonding was also touted as the hope for a Prime resurgence in galactic politics.
    Those who weren’t happy with Mel’s resurrection—the Pure Blood faction and certain distaff Caradocs—wanted her dead. The Pure Bloods hadn’t wanted the closer ties to the Galactic Alliance. With her status as an Alliance officer and the new mate of the Prime heir-apparent, her appearance had made the situation worse in the fanatics’ warped minds. For those Caradocs who weren’t in the direct line of power, some wanted her dead before she could produce an heir.
    “I hate parties,” Wulf grumbled, echoing her earlier thoughts. “I’d rather be crawling around in the dirt on Tarn playing war games with our Gold team.”
    “So would I.” She resumed rubbing Wulf’s back with an occasional detour to pet his nice firm ass. She smiled at his low rumble of