28. I’d Give You Everything

Sona could tell Taos liked the idea so little that he lost his erection. 
She snorted. “Well, this is something I can use against you. Jealous that I want to see different males?” 
A growl rumbled in his chest. He was still so close that she could feel the vibration. “Do you know how difficult that would be for me to arrange, trinket?” 
“I thought you said you’d give me everything,” she said blithely. She slipped out from between him and the table. Immediately she felt the temperature shift; she filled her lungs with less stifling air. “I will see you tomorrow, Alpha.”
She had a feeling that he would block the exit—and he did before she could get within a foot of the door. His stupidly huge body filled the threshold. Sona crossed her arms and looked up at his stupidly handsome face—objectively, she reminded herself, because she could not be attracted to him at all. 
But who *was* she attracted to? No one at the moment. *Sorry, Arden*.
Marrying Taos didn’t mean she had to love him. It was a marriage of convenience—only to achieve her end goal. 
The Redbone Alpha was glowering at her as if deciding to snap at her or not. His eyes burned like simmering black fire. The sweat at his temples dampened his dark red hair. Sona thought it needed trimming. 
She was still afraid of him. She’d yet to see his bloody tendencies, but he was keeping so close to her this past week that she hadn’t seen or heard him doing anything but watch her work—or stare at her ass when he thought she wasn’t looking. 
Yet somehow he was proving that he was little threat to her. At least physically.
“Trinket,” he said through grated teeth, “this is an impossible request.”
His tone suggested that there was a *sorry* that could be added. But Taos did not seem like the type to apologize for anything, even to her.
She knew it wasn’t impossible. It was just improbable. “You’re the Alpha of the Redbone pack. Your dynasty’s legacy leads all other packs to believe you can do whatever you want, damn the consequences.”
His jaw clenched.
“All I’m asking,” she continued, her voice careful and yet confident, “is that you get Alpha Eldor to agree to bring Raff and Auryn to the border. I just want to see them.”
“They’ll demand you cross the border to be tried for the murder of a Luna, trinket.” *His* voice was angered and deep. Not desperate, but firm in an attempt to make her see the unreasonable request. “Just write a damn letter and I’ll deliver it personally.”
“That’s not enough, Taos.”
His eyes flashed and suddenly his expression was stripped. “Say my name again.”
A shudder went down Sona’s spine. He took a step closer; she let him, dropping her arms to her side, holding her breath. If it got him to agree, she was tempted to whisper it. But it felt too personal. Like letting him inside the walls she’d built to keep him out. 
“Say my name,” he said huskily, “and I will make it happen.”
*Moon goddess damn them all*. The words came out in a low rasp. “Taos. Say my name.”
“Sona Mai.” Another shiver. Her throat tightened at the absolute care in which he formed the sound. As if her name was a small sleeping creature and didn’t want to wake it. His eyes roamed from hers to her lips and back up. She caught his arm lifting in her peripheral vision; his fingertips were featherlight down her forearm all the way down to her fingers, and for a moment she thought he would take her hand in his. “Sona.”
No one said her name so gently before. Not even Conri, not even when they made love or when Raff was born. This made her heart ache in a way she couldn’t decipher.
Taos started to lean forward.
Then the moment shattered.
The door was yanked open and a male voice shouted, “Alpha—oof!”
Taos snarled viciously and whirled on the wolf who ran right into his pack leader’s back. “What the fuck is so important that you—”
Sona’s head throbbed. She stumbled back with a gasp and crossed the shop to the back to fumble with the herb jars. *Gods, what was happening*? She had…she had started to stretch up…to meet his…to almost…
*She almost kissed Taos Redbone*.
What the actual fuck.
She didn’t hear the male’s response, because the next thing she knew, Taos boomed, “Mistress Mai, it’s your damn lucky day. You’re coming to the gathering of boneheads.”
“The what?”
“An emergency caucus meeting between Alphas,” he said gruffly. “Grayhide called it. Get dressed in something nice. I’m presenting you as my betrothed.”
Sona choked. “Excuse me, *what*?”
He was already turning away. “Cerise has plenty of outfits. It’s an excuse for you to see Roshan, so I wouldn’t imagine you’d disagree.”
Gone was the soft moment. Now Taos was back to being, using his own words, a bonehead. Sona’s heart now ached with irritation. She stormed after him. “You know I’m not in favor of this at all.”
“I know. Which is exactly why—”
To her absolute shock, Taos caught her around the waist and flung her over his shoulder. She yelped in surprise. 
“—I,” he finished, “am giving you no choice in the matter. Don’t Shift or I’m biting off Roshan’s arm.”
Sona wanted to thrash and fight—Shift and bite off his arm—but instead, she went limp. He was right; what other choice did she have? But that didn’t mean she couldn’t lengthen her claws and dig them through his shirt to pierce his skin. 
Taos hissed and jerked his shoulder into her gut, making her retract. “Stop pushing your luck, trinket,” he growled. “I *will* get rough with you.”
“As if you haven’t already.” 
Sona’s skin prickled when his chuckle vibrated through her and he said, “Pretty thing, you have no idea of my version of rough.”
*Walking a thin line, Sona*, she thought even as she sniped, “Here I thought you’d take into consideration my ‘no sexual comments.’”
“There are conditions to the ‘everything’ I’ve offered.”
“Stingy.”
“What else do you think I am?” 
Sona scowled at the back of his head. His long strides were taking them far and fast; this time she had no idea where they were going. She didn’t know where Cerise’s harem was. But the night was calm and quiet and awash in rich blue. The air was still and warm. 
A perfect summer atmosphere tainted by their bantering.
“Horrible. Foul-mouthed. Hedonistic. Obnoxious. Clingy. Ruthless. A liar.”
“The blood god’s hell, trinket,” Taos laughed once humorlessly. “I did not expect rapid-fire insults.”
“You asked. I answered.”
“Indeed. Here we are.”
Taos started to set her down and she was glad to unfold her body. Not so glad—when he smacked a hand to her ass so hard it smarted them both. Sona yelped and whirled. 
And cracked a palm across his face. 
She may be Omega-class—far smaller, not as muscular, and not trained in any sort of extreme physical defense, as Alpha males were—but she was still strong enough to snap Taos’ head to the side. Consequently, her wrist snapped too.