Poisonous Desires

by Selena Illyria

  She bit down on his shoulder. His blood filled her mouth, tasting of spice, wine, and the coolness of the moon. Nadia lapped at his wound but held on as he continued to thrust into her. The pressure began to build once again until she couldn’t hold it back anymore.

  “Come for me, love, come for me again,” Urban ordered.

  On his command, she let go and allowed the orgasm to consume her. Her world became the night sky filled with fireworks. A sense of calm filled her body as she released his shoulder. He belonged to her now. She would never be alone again and would always feel safe, protected, and loved.

  Chapter Seven

  Urban woke up sore. His shoulder throbbed with each beat of his heart. The wound still burned, even though it was partially healed. As he moved the bite marks pulled, threatening to rip open again. He groaned and sat up. Nadia grumbled and moved away to her side of the bed. Somewhere around three in the morning, he’d carried up to bed after another round of sex. He’d told her he’d loved her and didn’t regret it, not one word. Urban had meant it. His heart filled with so much emotion, he ached with it. His chest felt like bursting with all the sentiments running around his body. Never in his life had he felt so stable, grounded, and calm. His wolf felt right at home with Nadia; there was nowhere else he’d rather be. As he rested against the pillows, he took in her bedroom in the bright light of morning. It was a simple room: taupe walls, warm browns, reds, oranges, and golds with dashes of purple. She had a large armoire, a chest of drawers, and a wall of bookshelves. There were double doors that he assumed led to a walk-in closet and a door near the bed that opened to an opulent bathroom. Her taste was simple, elegant yet easy to move.

  Sadness crept into his mood. He pushed it away. She had a home, that was a start, and at least he knew she trusted him, not completely, but that would build over time. They had made strides last night, which he was proud of. He decided to give her some space. Besides that, he had to do some exercise. Exhaustion pulled at his body, something he’d never truly experienced before until coming to Draven’s Crossing and staying with Torger. Besides that, he had to think about what happened last night, as well as about what she’d told him and about the case of the dead alpha. In his gut, he knew something was wrong with the case but couldn’t put his finger on it. He also felt as if it was connected to Nadia’s Katnip mission. First things first, he had to clear his mind and get a grasp on all the elements, as well as kickstart his workout schedule. He’d been lax before and being with Nadia, he was sure that he’d need the extra energy. There was no doubt in his mind that they would be making a lot of love until he had to leave.

  He wanted to bring him with her back to Virginia, show her his home, introduce her to his friends, get her integrated into his life. There was also an urge to introduce her to his family and get their approval; he wanted his family to love her as much as he did. She may not have said the words, but that wasn’t important to him; what was important was that she wanted to be with him, always. Now to build on that. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her temple before he threw back the covers and got out of bed. Urban winced as his shoulder protested any action. He figured that he’d need a day or so to recover completely, but some exercise would help him heal faster. With a quick shower, he dressed in some sweats and grabbed a banana on the way out the door with his workout bag.

  As he drove to the gym, his thoughts traveled back to last night. She was now covered in his scent. There would be no repeat of what he’d gone through with the betas. Torger would know as soon as she came into contact with him, and there would be some questions. He also wasn’t sure how they’d handle their careers. His bosses weren’t fans of Zerik, and the feeling was mutual. Plus, he’d never met the current head of the Feline Quorum. He couldn’t stop the twinge of jealousy he felt when he thought of all that Zerik had done for Nadia and possibly her sister. He didn’t have the whole story, but he was sure that Nadia would tell him if he asked.

  His mind traveled back to seeing Nadia in bed surrounded by white. Her nude form looked so tempting. Seeing her so relaxed and at ease, feeling so safe, tugged at his heart. As he turned into the gym parking lot, he pulled his mind away from her and sex. It wouldn’t do to walk in half hard and distracted. He had to concentrate; otherwise he could get seriously hurt. Urban didn’t want to push himself too hard, especially in the shoulder area. He lifted his right shoulder and winced as the muscles screamed and the wound heated up. Nope, not gonna try it, he thought. Instead, he turned his mind toward the problem he had: the death of an alpha, which was a bad thing. He was surprised that Torger hadn’t called him to scream his ear off. Urban hoped that was a signal his brother was trusting him. If not, he’d hear about it when and if he went back to the cabin.

  He parked, grabbed his bag, and headed in. Urban showed his temporary membership pass at the front desk and headed into the changing area. His mind went into work mode. The death of Stan didn’t strike him as odd. The witness statements had told him that he’d said he was alone that night and making his famous mushroom soup. A look into the guy’s background had told him that the man was in deep shit with the FCC and IRS as well as managing the finances of all the major packs, although there wasn’t anything hinky in his business dealings.

  If anyone wanted him dead, as Nadia suggested, then it would be the wife. They found a million-dollar life insurance policy. Caroline would benefit big time. She’d been notified of her husband’s death, but, Poppy, the woman they’d helped at the campgrounds, had run interference. She assured the detectives that Caroline would be able to talk today. So, there was that. He had to make a report to Torger and talk to the other alphas, see if they had anything to say. His gut told him something was there, but they weren’t seeing it. He couldn’t help but feel it had to do with what happened to Poppy that day; why or how, he didn’t know. That fight was so out of place. So unlike the pack to stand by when there were police a few steps away. As if they’d wanted Michael to be arrested for assault and domestic violence.

  Urban shook his head. Thinking too much wouldn’t help him. He had to clear his mind. Once he’d changed, he grabbed his tablet and logged into Skype. There was one person to call who could help him clear his head and give him a workout that would leave his muscles screaming and his body primed for the pain. This would not only give his brain a break, but also he’d be able to say he was almost ready to get back to work. A pang of sadness hit him. He didn’t want to leave Draven’s Crossing or Nadia yet. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the place was growing on him. Knowing Nadia had a home here only added to its appeal. Home. It was foreign concept to him, having traveled so much. What would it be like to come home to Nadia or to be able to not jet off so much? He loved his job, loved that he could help his country and help foreign countries as well. It wasn’t all James Bond shit, but it had its moments, and it was fun. He enjoyed some of the sneakier aspects of his job and enjoyed the travel.

  Urban could feel something inside of him shift. He’d never really thought about his career in relation to his real life. Now that Nadia was truly in it, he had to rethink some things. They wouldn’t let him work with her, but perhaps he could act as a Feline Quorum liaison? Maybe. As the phone rang on his tablet, he hoped he wasn’t pulling his friend away from anything sexy. They got little down time as it was, and budget cuts weren’t helping matters with overworked agents who were being left in the lurch as to the status of their missions. He and Cooper were some of the first group to get vacations; that was really the only way to keep them on payroll without firing them. More and more people were being put on furlough to keep major operations in play. Nothing they could do about it but do their jobs and keep busy on their off times. Besides, he would know soon enough if he would be getting more vacation time.

  “Talk to me, you rat bastard. Long time no see. How are you? Wow, you look bad.” Cooper’s tone was heavy with mocking. There was a grin on his deeply tanned face.

  Urban winced; he was pretty sure
he didn’t look that bad, or did he? Nadia certainly hadn’t complained. “Fast food and too much coffee and beer. You ready?” Urban cringed and tried not to let it show. He and Cooper already had a workout routine established from their college days.

  “I’m ready; let’s get to work. You’re going to warm up with yoga, and then we’ll head into cardio,” Cooper dictated. “Don’t want to break your ass too early.”

  Urban didn’t argue; he chuckled and set the tablet down on the floor next to his mat. He started to go through the Sun Salutation routine. As he began to do his yoga breaths and stretched his muscles, he found any tension and pain he had fading as his body became grounded. Cooper went through the count, his voice droning on about useless crap that Urban was able to tune out. By the time Urban was done, his body felt loose and warmed.

  “Good job; you didn’t fall over. Now for your cardio: we’re going to do the treadmill,” Cooper said. “We’re going to baby your sorry ass with only an hour run; is that okay with you? Never mind, get your ass on that machine. I want to see sweat.”

  Urban shook his head and got on an empty machine. “I can do an hour, no problem. And yeah, I’m real proud of myself. What’s all this bullshit you’re spewing? You met someone? You dog; does she know you’re a hound?” Urban asked. It felt good to joke with his friend again. He’d missed it.

  Cooper snorted. “Like you should talk; I know all about that woman you’re hiding.”

  Urban paused and stared at the tablet. “What?” Had he been that careless with his friends?

  Cooper shrugged. “You see her; you’re less stressed. We started calling her your masseuse. Not going to pry. Not my business.” Cooper held up his hands. “We’re not gonna ask, okay? Just busting your balls; now give me sixty minutes.”

  Urban shook his head and began his run. Rather than think about his relationship with Nadia, he decided to talk to Cooper about the case.

  “Sounds like black widow shit to me. Check to see if there are more victims connected to the woman, her or that Poppy woman. Torger may shit cubs, but at least you’re covering your bases. Also, ask the coroner to treat the body like a foul play case. You know the drill,” Cooper said.

  Urban thought it over; it made sense. “How do I make sure this doesn’t turn into a shit storm? The alphas will act like a bunch of assholes, but at least I’ll have done my job as Torger’s substitute alpha.”

  Cooper agreed. “Exactly, although I’m surprised you didn’t think of it yourself. Now stop gabbing and give me more speed, you slow-ass bastard.”

  Urban couldn’t argue with that, so he kept running until his sixty minutes were up.

  “Okay, take a breather; grab some Gatorade and then we’ll do it all over again, since we’re easing your sorry ass back into shape.” Cooper disappeared from the screen.

  All Urban could do was laugh. He deserved that verbal abuse, since he’d been so lax over the past few weeks. Once his drink break was over, he stretched and went back to the grind, this time working on his legs with the weight machines. Cooper continued to give him more grief, but he took it without complaint. By the time he was done, Urban was breathing hard and exhausted. He lay down on the floor, trying to get his bearings.

  “Jesus, you’re really out of shape. We made need to up the ante and do another round,” Cooper said. “Shit, I have to go. We’ll hit it harder tomorrow.”

  He signed off, leaving an empty screen. Urban laid there allowing his body to adjust to the two hours they’d done. It still wasn’t enough, but it was a start.

  Nadia leaned over him and stared down at him. “Tired of being punished yet? You’ve been running around here like an idiot for two hours.” She took a sip of coffee, looking so calm, cool, and collected. Not a hair out of place or any pain from last night. Urban felt the urge to rectify that, but couldn’t get up.

  “Needed. Exercise,” he panted.

  “And you needed to come to a sweaty-balls, jockstrap-scented, all-male-membership gym? There’s something wrong with you. I’ll be at the diner, eating a real breakfast.” She turned and left before he could sit up.

  “Wait, how’d you find me?” he shouted after her. His brain was a complete blank. Nothing made sense or allowed him to connect the dots. He was too damn tired.

  “Marked you, you moron,” she called over her shoulder.

  “Figures,” he muttered and got up off the floor.

  Urban couldn’t fight the grin, so he let it stay. He took a shower and walked over to the Nightshade Garden Diner for some breakfast. His body ached in a few places and the throb was back in his shoulder, but he felt better, more like himself.

  Nadia sat at the back, with an excellent view of the entrance and dining room, and had a cover on the door leading to the kitchen. She had a plate of pancakes in front of her and a large cup of coffee with sides of bacon and hash browns.

  He wove around the various tables and settled down, only to realize they weren’t alone. Rex from the La Luna Café sat with her, drinking coffee. Urban growled at the intruder.

  “Shut it, wolfie, Rex is a friend and updating me on the Katnip case.” She gestured toward the empty seat next to her. “Order breakfast; we have news.”

  Rex directed a grin toward Urban but got right down to business. “One of the women I’ve been watching for the Katnip case has turned up dead, a combo of too many muscle relaxers and wine; at least that’s the preliminary theory. Her husband was the one you found in the cabin, dead. The coroner is putting a rush on the results, with pressure from Torger, so we’ll know if it was murder or an accident.”

  Urban thought over the new information as he perused the menu. “Okay, so I don’t have to call in a toxicology test for poisons?”

  Rex shook his head. “Nope. He’s doing them for both bodies.”

  “If he was poisoned, it was probably from a mushroom mixed in with his soup. Easy to hide, but the question is, why all these deaths? Also, what was up with the display of domestic violence at the camp?” Nadia asked.

  Urban looked over at her. “Why bring that up again?”

  Nadia rolled her eyes. “The pack doesn’t allow that type of shit to happen in front of outsiders. Do I look or smell like a wolf to you?” She gestured at herself.

  Rex leaned over and sniffed her, much to Urban’s annoyance. “Back off, beta, or you’ll get my fist denting your face,” he replied, his voice low.

  “Ah, shut up.” Nadia pointed at Rex. “B, you know the pack to allow that kind of display to happen during a visit from people who could call the police who may not have ties to werewolves. That’d be a bad thing, as in investigations and questions and possibly a breaking up of the pack and a takeover by another pack. I thought it over while you were at the gym. That scene doesn’t add up when you’ve had no reports of any violence or altercations between husbands and wives, even alphas.”

  Urban thought it over. “Fine, I’ll concede that it was odd. If it was a major deal and people, as in other packs, complained and made a big enough stink, then yes, that could happen, and Torger would make sure that it would happen. He doesn’t tolerate that shit. This could cause a land grab by other packs in the area and shift the balance of power in the state. Could that have anything to do with the Katnip case?”

  Nadia didn’t think so. “They’d have to make a lot of money for that, and they’d also have to do a lot more killings to destabilize the packs. Too many deaths would be too suspicious, and getting the insurance money would take time. So far we have one pack alpha and his wife dead. We need more information; we need to know about who’s connected to the packs and the women involved, and Goddamnit, I forgot my baked goods at the park area! I bought you pie, argh.” Nadia smacked her forehead.

  Rex held up a hand and said, “I’ll get it, but I want to test the goods first. I have an idea. Do you have a receipt?”

  Nadia dug into her jeans pocket and produced a slip of paper. “Here you go. You thinking the Katnip is in the cakes and pies? That stuff
wouldn’t affect werewolves or other shifters, only feline-shifters or humans.”

  Urban agreed. “That’s feasible, but why?”

  Rex shrugged. “I’d say money. We need to figure out who the ring leader is and find someone weak enough to break. I’ll keep investigating and get back to you. Hopefully, I’ll have something for you soon.” He pushed back his chair and stood up. “Nice doing breakfast with you.”

  Nadia turned to Urban. “Play nice. He’s my source in this investigation, and besides, he’s not interested in me.”

  Urban didn’t ask. His stomach grumbled. He decided to focus on ordering. “Fine.” The waitress came up to their table. “I’ll have the Southwest omelets, hash browns, turkey sausage, and orange juice. Thank you.”

  “Nice way to avoid the subject. How was your workout?” She sipped her coffee and looked at him from over the rim.

  “Needed. How are you doing?” They had had a pretty intense night. He wanted to make sure that she wasn’t hurt too much.

  She shifted in her seat. “Fine, just a twinge or two. Nothing a little yoga and maybe a shift might cure.” Her expression was light and carefree, but he could see her putting up walls between them.

  Urban shook his head. “No, nothing a massage wouldn’t cure. Tonight, maybe?”

  Nadia rolled the cup between her hands. “Well, if you’re offering…yes.”