by Mina Carter
Half an hour later, she’d realized werewolves were just like everybody else.
Alex had abandoned her three steps inside the door, leaving her to fend for herself. The soft hum of conversation filled the room, the wolves present congregated into little groups, none of which she belonged to. The sole human in the room, she felt a little like a goldfish. Watched, studied, but not spoken to. Not exactly the fairy tale she’d imagined it to be. Snagging a glass of champagne from one of the circulating wait staff, she retreated to the corner of the room and tried to blend with the drapes.
At least she was dressed for the occasion. The dress Sylvia had picked for her, far from being the monstrosity Eva had expected, was a stunning confection of midnight satin. With a low, but not trashy neckline, it emphasized her generous bust before nipping in at the waist, then flowing out into a wide skirt. Matched with strappy silver sandals, the delicate swish of satin around her ankles was a sensory delight and even she had to admit the stylists Sylvia had drafted for her hair and makeup worked wonders. She almost hadn’t recognized herself in the mirror, instead wanting to look behind her for the ethereal beauty she saw.
Alex had taken one look at her and turned away. He hadn’t spoken to her all the way here, sitting in silence opposite her in the limo. Limo! How the other half lived. Still, his brooding silence had eaten at her composure and she’d barely managed to avoid fidgeting. The only thing that stopped her was the desire not to give him another advantage over her. That hot as hell kiss in the bathroom had been more than enough. Even now, her lips and body tingled at the memory.
“Took out a whole nest of vampires, I heard.” Strains of a nearby conversation reached her ears and she paused, champagne glass halfway to her lips. Two older women stood nearby, gossiping as they looked across the hall. “Just waded in and cut them all down.”
It was easy to see who they were looking at. Alex stood near a large fireplace on the other side of the room, chatting to a petite and exquisite lycan woman. Jealousy clawed Eva’s stomach for a moment until the woman turned. She was pregnant, heavily pregnant. Eva’s breath left her lungs in a rush. The woman was another lycan’s mate. She had to be. From the little she did know about werewolves, they sometimes found it difficult to conceive. If Alex had fathered a child, then there was no way he’d be making carnal deals with her.
“I always did say he took after his grandfather,” one of the women carried on. Despite herself, Eva flitted closer. She knew all about Alex’s dealings in the human world, about his business and the myriad trophy girlfriends he was pictured with in the media. But she knew very little about the lycan side of his life.
The side that meant he’d returned covered in blood with vampire claw marks all over his body. She’d assumed he’d click his fingers and have a bunch of lackeys, bully-boy bodyguard werewolves or something, take care of the problem, but he hadn’t. He’d sorted it himself. Personally.
“He does indeed. Looks like him too.” One of them sighed. “If I was twenty years younger…”
Her companion cackled and elbowed her. “Twenty? Get real, Agnes, you’d need at least forty just to qualify as a cougar!”
“Screw you, Violet, you cantankerous old biddy. Some men like a bit of experience.” Agnes smoothed her hand down her hip. Given she was advanced in age, Eva had to admit, she still had a figure. Obviously one of the advantages of non-human blood.
Violet drained her glass and signaled a waitress over. “Experience? Is that what you call it. I call it wh…”
The two women moved off, their voices drowned out by the music from the classical quartet in the corner. The crowds parted and a few couples took to the dance floor. Eva watched them with envy. Werewolves moved with such grace and coordination. There was no way she could match that, like ever. In comparison, she’d be like a fairy elephant clumping around. Abruptly she went from feeling like a princess, right down to serving maid with a thump.
“So, what’s a pretty lady like you doing all by herself?”
She jumped at the sound of a male voice and turned to find herself looking into the smiling eyes of a lycan who’d managed to creep up on her. Since her senses weren’t the sharpest in the room, it wasn’t that difficult.
Her lips quirked. “Interesting chat up line. Does that work often?”
“I need to work on my technique, don’t I?” He grimaced. “Not my fault, I’m out of practice.”
The grimace became a smile, and he tapped a finger adorned with a gold wedding band against the stem of his glass. “Not trying to pick you up, I swear. You just looked a little lost over here.”
He was a wolf, that much was evident, but the lack of amber in his eyes made her relax a little. Not a born wolf, so he wouldn’t look down on her quite as much as the rest. Kind of odd looking as well, and she couldn’t work out if he was attractive or not. Regardless, he paled in comparison to Alex’s brooding looks.
“I’m good, thank you for checking. Just…” She looked around and bit her lip. “Feeling a little overwhelmed, you know?”
“It can be a bit much the first time, I agree.” He smiled and moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with her as they looked out over the dance floor.
Unbidden, her gaze crept to Alex, still in conversation with the pregnant beauty. She held a glass of orange liquid in one hand, the other curled protectively around her bump. A pang shot through Eva for a moment, but she shut it down. No babies, not for her. Not yet. She wanted them, but there was no way she was going to turn out like her mother, popping them out without being in a stable relationship first. And with a father who was as committed to raising their kids as she was.
“You’re here with Alex, I take it?”
Color hit her cheeks. “Obvious, is it?”
His lips quirked as he took a sip from his glass. “You can’t take your eyes off him. But what’s more telling is that he hasn’t looked at you once.”
“Not once? Well, doesn’t that just trash a gal’s confidence.” She tried to make light of it, but her heart fell. Perhaps he’d changed his mind about their deal. Or perhaps it would be a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am with the lights out. Even she had to admit she wasn’t his usual type. She was too human and not enough wolf.
Her companion cut her a sharp look. “You don’t know much about wolves in general, and Alex in particular, do you?”
She stilled. “What do you mean?”
His glass was empty, but he didn’t make a move to summon one of the waiters. Twirling it in long fingers instead, he studied her. “You’re being stalked, darling. In a way specific to one particular wolf. I’ve never seen him expend this much effort on any woman before.”
“Yeah, right.” She snorted. “He’s not looked my way since we arrived. I doubt he even remembers I’m here.”
Amusement entered her companion’s eyes. “I highly doubt that. In fact, I’m sure he’s been focused on you all evening. Would you care to help me test that theory?”
She tilted her head to the side curiously. The guy was off his rocker, of course, but it wasn’t like she had anything better to do. “And just how do you propose to do that?”
“Would you care to dance?” Extending his hand, he smiled. For a moment she caught the flash of amber in his gaze and froze like a rabbit in the headlights, reminded that he was, after all, still a wolf. And she was very much a sheep. Slowly, she reached out and placed her hand in his.
“Word of advice, my dear.” Strong fingers closed around hers. “Don’t flash your throat like that. It’s seen as a sign of submission amongst us. Could get you in a lot of trouble.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widened. She hadn’t even been aware of the gesture, but now that he pointed it out, she could see what he meant. “I see, thank you. I’ll be careful with that in the future.”
“One…You do that…two…” Hand clasped firmly in his, he led her onto the dance floor. “Three…”
He twirled her elegantly and took her into a ballroom hold. She looked up at him cu
riously. “Why are you counting?”
His answer was a grin that showed white teeth, thankfully blunt, while an imp of mischief showed in his eyes. “You’ll see. Four.”
The music started and they moved. Although she loved to, she wasn’t a brilliant dancer, but it was obvious within a few steps that her partner was. Damn that innate wolf grace. It would be worth getting bitten just to get a bit of it. “Five.”
A low growl and a gasp behind them warned her trouble was imminent. She turned to see Alex bearing down on them, his face like thunder and his features sharp with his wolf.
“Veyr,” he barked, the air around him shivering with rage as his wolf tried to take over. “I know you’re the master, but touch my woman again and you’re a dead man.”
She gasped, stepping back from her partner hurriedly. Even she knew the name of the Master of the City, the lycan overlord. Blinking, she looked at him again. This was Veyr? He’d looked so…normal.
He grinned, and as she watched, the human mask sloughed away to reveal…oh fuck, how the hell could she have thought he was anything other than a powerful werewolf? One who was supposed to be lethal and dangerous, with a hair-trigger temper. Who Alex just threatened…
“No, please.” She jumped between them, hand out to keep Veyr back. Fear crawled through her veins, trying to sap her strength, but she stood firm. “Don’t hurt him. It’s my fault, not his.”
The gasp that rolled through the room clued her in that she’d made a mistake. Shit. She looked around. All eyes were on their little altercation. Alex’s face was set, lips compressed with anger.
“My dear, I applaud the sentiment.” Veyr smiled, reaching out to take her hand, his voice low and measured. “However, Alex is an alpha. It’s his job to protect you, not the other way around. By doing so, you just made him look weaker in front of the court. Besides, I baited him… so the fault is mine. Let’s say no more about it.” He let go of her hand and looked around. “What happened to the music? And where is my wife? Let’s get this party going!”
“Right here, my Lord, now you’ve had your bit of fun.” The pregnant lady who had been speaking to Alex earlier appeared at Veyr’s side and the way he folded her gently against him made the romantic in Eva sigh. He looked back at the two of them. “Alex, you may want to take your lady home now. I think she’s had quite enough lycan politics for one night.”
***
Shit.
Alex sat in the back seat of the limo and closed his eyes. He’d almost lost it and challenged the damn Master of the City. Which was, in a word, suicide.
Oh, Alex was good. He knew he was. As pack alpha, he had to be. There was always some jumped up little asshole who thought he (it was usually a he, women had more sense) could run the pack better. The challenges came as regular as clockwork every couple of months. Generally bitten wolves but occasionally one of the born youngsters got cocky after they mastered their part-shift and thought they could take on an alpha with years of experience.
So in a fight, he was the man. Plus, his inner beast had stone-wolf tendencies which made him hard as granite and as difficult to kill as the gargoyle who’d donated DNA to their line generations ago.
But Veyr was not just good. The Master of the City was a hardcore badass who’d spent his teenage years in fight clubs, fighting first for money, then in a twist no one had expected: ownership of them. Lethal, and with a vicious streak a mile wide, even Alex would be hard pressed to take him down. Only one thing was certain. The best outcome he could hope for would be mutually assured destruction, which he didn’t want.
But seeing Eva in another man’s arms—even those of a friend with a loved mate and a pup on the way—had almost sent him over the edge.
Jealousy had not so much boiled over as it exploded through him with the force of a nuclear bomb. Even now, his hand shook as he raked it through his hair. Deep within, his wolf snarled. The beast was still unhappy about Veyr touching what was theirs.
Theirs. Eva was theirs.
How the hell had she gotten under his skin so fast? He thought he’d gotten a handle on it. A plan. One night to slake his lust and rid himself of an old teenage fantasy, then they could both go about their lives. No harm, no foul.
But no. The instant he claimed her lips earlier, riding the high of pain and bloodlust, he knew one night would never be enough. A lifetime might never be enough. He had pushed her away…no, scared her away…because the depth of his need for her terrified him.
He should let her go. Now. Screw their agreement. She could have this one on him. Instinct told him if he took her, he would never reclaim his soul. It would belong—lock, stock, and barrel—to the beauty sitting on the other side of the limo looking at the night lights of the city as they passed.
He flicked her a glance and realized she wasn’t looking out. She was watching him.
“Alex?” She reached out, the gentle touch of her hand on his arm like a brand even through the multiple layers of material. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“Well, what did you mean to do then?” he snarled, too much of his wolf in the sound, and she flinched. And he felt a dick. “Forget it. We’re here.”
The walk into the building and to the lift was short. He waved away the usual guards, not wanting them in the enclosed space with them. If he couldn’t handle Veyr, his overlord, touching Eva, then he sure as hell wouldn’t be able to handle subordinate male wolves anywhere near her. Not with the way that dress clung to her luscious curves. What the fuck had Sylvia thought she was doing, dressing Eva like a present to be unwrapped?
The instant the lift doors closed he regretted his decision. Her scent wrapped around him: sweet, evocative, and seductive. Shit. They should have taken the stairs. Leaning against the wall, he dropped his head back, closed his eyes and tried not to think about the temptress mere feet from him. He should let her go, he really should…
“Alex?” The soft, tentative note in her voice drew his attention. “I’m not trying to get out of our deal or anything. Not after you got hurt and everything helping me, but…if you’d rather we work out some kind of financial agreement instead…”
She trailed off when he looked at her blankly. Wet her lips nervously. The sight of her little pink tongue flicking over the plump flesh made him bite back a groan. Fuck’s sake, did the woman not realize how damn sexy that was?
“Financial agreement?”
“Yeah, if you’d prefer.” She took a deep breath and her next words fell out in a rush, almost tumbling over one another. “I know you don’t like me much. Never did. So I understand if you changed your mind and don’t want to do this.”
She studied her hands, her cheeks bright pink while he looked at her dumbfounded. Finally, she looked up and the doubt there almost brought him to his knees. She thought he didn’t like her? Fuck. Was she blind?
“If this is about your figure, I told y—”
“Don’t be ridiculous! You think I’m that insecure about my size?” She barked out a laugh, sounding very lycan. “Screw that. This is about you and me. You say you want me, but you’ve been nothing but an asshole, snarling at me, trying to scare me. Go the big, bad wolf.” Her voice hardened as the lift pinged their arrival. She swept out, pausing to deliver her parting shot over her shoulder. “If you want out, Alex, then fucking man up and admit it.”
Chapter Four
Riding a wave of hard-won courage and righteous indignation, Eva stormed through the entrance hall and into the kitchen. The quicker she got out of this dress, no doubt another hefty addition to the amount she already owed him, and into her own clothes, the quicker she could leave.
Right now, that couldn’t happen fast enough. Hell, yesterday wouldn’t be fast enough. In fact, if she could go back, she’d march right to her apartment and box her own ears for even thinking of asking Alex for help.
She had made it halfway across the kitchen before he caught up with her. A whisper of air stroked over the back of her neck
before a hard arm wrapped around her waist. She shrieked in surprise as he spun her with a quick movement.
“Alex! You scared me. Don’t sneak up on me like that!” she spat, battering at his broad chest and shoulders. It made no difference. He hauled her against him like he didn’t even feel the blows. The touch of his solidly muscled body brought back all the tension from earlier in the bathroom and she froze.
“Don’t run, then,” he rumbled, his features tight as lust flared in his eyes. His hand slid into her hair, holding her head still. “You think I don’t want you?”
He leaned down but didn’t kiss her. She thought he was going to, and her body relaxed in preparation. Instead, he brushed his lips against hers. Almost but not quite kissing her. Teasing her instead.
She tried to follow him, capture his lips and gain the kiss, but he evaded her. Carried on teasing her. Not fun, light-hearted teasing but a hard-edged controlling tease. It was a message. They were doing this on his terms, not hers.
Forcing her backward, he boosted her onto the island counter. Him being over a foot taller than she was, it brought their lips level. Before she could get her wits about her, he parted her thighs and pushed between them. A large hand splayed over the back of her hips pulled her flush to the solid erection that strained his pants.
“There,” he murmured against her lips. Rocked his hips so she felt the full width of him. “Does that feel like I don’t want you? That I don’t like you?”
“You don’t have to like me to fuck me,” she threw back, the words in a voice way too breathy and fuck-me-now to be hers. But it was. And she wanted him to, despite everything. Despite the tension between them, despite the fact she was paying for his help with her body, she wanted him. Always had.
“No, I don’t.” He shoved her skirts up, hand driving beneath them to find her thigh. A groan rumbled in the back of his throat as his hand stroked her skin under the midnight satin. “This dress…all I’ve wanted tonight is to rip it from you. Discover the secrets beneath.”
