There. That got your attention, didn’t it?

Here is a scene from Quill and Ellie’s wedding night. They’ve consumated their marriage and are lying side by side in bed. He’s been telling her what he and Sky have been  doing in Omaha. This scene may be changed significantly or even cut entirely from the book. I haven’t even re-read it yet so it probably has awkward moments and goofs.

      “Omaha sounds awful.” Ellie shivered against him. “I don’t understand why the women allow themselves to made into prostitutes. Can’t their families protect them?”

That very question had driven his wolf insane for six years. “The city guard is like an army, and the mayor is its commander. People don’t have much choice. If they are wealthy, they can pay the tax to keep their daughters at home or to find them a husband and pay the marriage fee.  Poor families who try to resist find their homes burned.” Quill had to make an effrot to keep his wolf from howling his rage. ”And a lot of women like being prostitutes. They have independence and money, and a lot of them like having sex.”

“Ew,” Ellie shuddered.

Horrified, he lifted his head to stare at her. She hadn’t seeemed unhappy a few mintues ago. “Don’t you like sex?”

“With you. Not just any stranger off the street.”

That laid a sheet of soothing warmth over his heart. “Well, some of the women do. The ones who don’t, try to come to Ms. Mary’s house. We arrange some domestic work for them and pay their city tax out of the house’s cut.”

Ellie leaned up on one elbow, trying to see him in the scant moonlight. “How can the house make a profit?”

“It doesn’t. Ms. Mary made Sky her partner, and all they want is enough to keep things going until they …” He trailed off, debating whether or not to tell her the whole truth. He tugged her face to his and sunk his voice to the barest whisper in her ear. “Until they are able to get rid of the mayor. Don’t tell anyone. If the mayor somehow heard that, he would have Sky killed.”

“Sky should come home!”

“But then who would take care of the ladies at Ms. Mary’s house? They’re his Pack”

Her small fist thumped lightly on his shoulder. “I don’t advocate violence, but why doesn’t he just kill the mayor?”

The thought of the chaos that would erupt as various factions fought for power in Omaha made him cringe. “Too many innocent people would die unless there was someone strong enough to take control.”

“Is that what Sky wants? To be the next mayor?”

“No.” He and Sky had talked that over several times. Sky didn’t want to stay in Omaha; he wanted the plains and the hills and his mate. “He wants a strong and fair government in place in Omaha. He’ll be back when he has that. He wants his mate. I can’t tell you how many nights he and I stayed up ’til dawn talking about you and Rose and how much our wolves needed you.”

She gave a lady-like grunt. “He could bring Rose to Omaha.”

“No.” That was definite. “Omaha is an evil place. I wouldn’t want my mate there. I hope you never want to go to Omaha. It would half-kill me to deny you anything, but–”

She laid her head on his shoulder, snugglingclose. “Aren’t you lucky? I’m right here.” A shadow of a laugh shook her voice. “Why don’t you show me what else you learned while you were guarding ladies in Omaha?”

Relief shook him. She didn’t hold his days in an Omaha whorehouse against him.