by Jackie May
Rook smirks. “I’m good.”
“I’ve got your back,” Nick adds, stepping up beside Rook. “You do your thing. I’ll watch out for you.”
That makes me feel better, but I spare the bed another wary glance. The sheets are still a mess. I start at the foot of the bed, hoping to pick up something without having to actually crawl into the place where the dirty action happened. Thankfully, I luck out. I run my hand across the foot of the bed and am immediately sucked into the imprint.
I fall right into the middle of the show. Luna Marie is busy taking her lover for a ride when a cell phone rings. The man is definitely a wolf—his eyes glow faintly, the same way Rook’s do when his wolf is close to the surface—but I don’t recognize him as one of Alpha Toth’s pack. He isn’t one of the rogues who attacked me, either. This man is new, and very dominant.
I’ve never been a fan of these kinds of visions, because the only experiences I’ve ever had with sex have all been horrific. But I have to admit, if I have to sit back and watch this show, at least Mr. Alpha Wolf makes for a great view.
“Leave it!” the man snarls when Marie leans over the foot of the bed.
Marie doesn’t listen. “I have to know if the job is done. I need that nosy bitch taken care of.”
She climbs off the bed, and the vision ends.
I come to, and my head spins. Rook, having seen me at work before, is right there to catch me as I almost fall off the bed. “Find anything useful?”
“Not yet.” I groan.
This whole sucking up multiple imprints in a row thing really sucks. But there’s a good chance I’ll get that phone conversation if I can just find the right spot on the floor where she answered it. She was bound to be pissed as hell when she learned I got away and one of her rogues was taken into custody. I get down on my knees and smooth my hand over the carpet in front of the bed until I’m sucked into another vision.
Marie crawls across the floor and snatches up her phone. “Is it done?” she demands. She listens a moment, then goes rigid. “What?” she shouts. She sits up on her knees. “You incompetent fools! No. I’ll take care of it. And you’d better leave town, because if I ever find you, I’ll rip you to pieces for being such a useless idiot.”
She hangs up the phone and throws it across the room, screaming in a fit of rage. Her lover chuckles and joins her on the floor. Her tantrum has done nothing to kill his mood. “I take it the job didn’t go well?” he asks as he starts kissing her neck and shoulder.
“No.” She huffs, leaning her head to the side to give him better access. “Not only did Nora get away, one of those idiots I hired got taken into FUA custody. If he’s not already singing like a canary, he will be soon. Nick Gorgeous has ways of making people talk.”
“Doesn’t matter,” her lover insists as he pushes her onto her back and climbs on top of her. He kisses her deeply, then says, “We stick to the plan.”
“But I have to disappear now, Axel,” Marie demands. “Peter will kill me when he finds out I paid rogues to attack his precious little pet, Nora.” She spits my name with bitterness and loathing. The feeling is totally mutual.
Axel growls, his impatience growing. “Then stay at my safe house for now,” he snaps. “And forget about the human girl. She’s of no consequence. We stick to the plan.”
Marie snarls at Axel, but it only makes him smile. “You’re so hot when you’re pissed. Stop worrying and make dirty love to me, you naughty bitch.”
Something flashes in Marie’s eyes, and she attacks Axel with the full force of an angry wolf. Lots of screaming and clawing and biting ensues. I try to escape the vision, but like always, I have to wait it out.
By the time I come back to the present, my head is pounding so badly I can’t see. There are too many black spots in my vision. I’m also going to lose my dinner. “Bathroom,” I groan.
Rook needs no further explanation. He scoops me up and places me in front of the toilet just before I puke my guts up. The sweetie even holds my hair back for me.
“Damn, girl,” Nick mutters from the entrance of the bathroom. “At least you didn’t get my boots this time.”
I flip him off while I heave some more, and he laughs. Once I’m done throwing up, I lie down on the floor and press my cheek against the cool linoleum. “You okay?” Rook asks, gently rubbing my back. The touch feels soothing, for once. “You were out cold for half an hour.”
“Half an hour?” I groan again. “That has to be a record. I’ve never witnessed such passionate, angry sex before. I was lucky they decided to take things back to the bed after getting too many rug burns, or I might never have escaped them. I’ll never question a werewolf’s stamina.”
Rook chuckles at the stamina comment but quickly stops when Alpha Toth growls. Oops. I should be a little more sensitive when talking about his mate sleeping around on him. “Sorry. If it helps, I know who it was. Well, I have a name.”
“WHO?” Alpha Toth demands.
I start to move, and Rook helps me sit up without my having to ask. The room spins again. “Whoa. No more imprints for me for a long time.”
Alpha Toth takes a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. “Can we do anything to help?”
I appreciate the concern when I know all he wants is to know who’s banging his mate so he can go kill him. “Painkillers?” I say. “And maybe some tea, if there’s any around?”
Alpha Toth heads for the kitchen, while Rook helps me to my feet. He guides me to the sofa in the living room. Nick brings me some aspirin, and Alpha Toth hands me a glass of juice. “Sorry. No tea,” he says gruffly. It’ll have to do.
The three of them wait until I’ve swallowed down the pills and can sit up without feeling dizzy. “What can you tell us?” Alpha Toth asks as I sip the rest of my juice.
I applaud his patience up to this point, but I still don’t quite trust his temper. “You’re not going to kill the messenger, right?”
Alpha Toth and Rook exchange a look that’s way too serious. Alpha Toth moves across the room, and Rook shifts into a sort of ready position, like he’s going to pounce if Alpha Toth does lose his temper and attacks. “Well, that’s comforting.”
“You’ll be safe,” Nick promises. One glance at his face, and I believe him.
I meet Alpha Toth’s angry gaze. “His name is Axel.”
Alpha Toth’s eyes bulge. “Axel Day? Are you sure?”
“I never got a last name, but he had sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and was more ripped than any man has a right to be.”
“That’s Alpha Day, all right,” Rook mutters.
I nod. “Yeah, this guy was definitely an alpha. Which pack is he?”
“Island Lake,” Alpha Toth bites out. He’s got his arms folded tightly across his chest, and he’s clenching his jaw so tightly the muscles in his neck are pulled taut.
“Are they a strong pack?” I ask.
Alpha Toth’s eyes narrow. “Not as strong as mine, but they aren’t weak. Why?”
I think he knows what I’m about to say, because his eyes start to glow again. “He kept saying they had to stick to the plan. It seemed pretty important. And nefarious, I might add.”
“A takeover?” Alpha Toth growls. “Is he planning to attack my pack?”
I shrug. “Could he?”
Alpha Toth glares at the ground and then looks at Rook. “With enough help and no warning, he might be able to pull it off.”
“Or, he could just be planning to take Marie off your hands,” I suggest.
Rooks sighs. “That’s the same thing. If he challenges Peter for Marie, it’s a fight to the death, and the winner inherits the other’s pack. But if he’s plotting in secret, he’s not talking about a fair challenge.”
“Maybe they just want to run away together, like Maya and Daniel did.” I know it’s a bogus suggestion, but I can’t help trying to make him feel better.
“Alphas don’t run off,” Toth says, as if personally offended by my suggestion. “And they neve
r desert their packs. No. Whatever he’s planning, it has to be a takeover. What else is there?”
“He must think he can win, or he wouldn’t dare attempt it,” Rook says.
The two share another long look.
“Could Island Lake and Waterloo be teaming up?” Alpha Toth asks.
“To what end?” Rook shakes his head. “They’re not going to merge packs, and splitting ours wouldn’t give either of them any advantage.”
“You’re right. Day has to be working alone. Rogues?”
Rook nods. “It’s possible. They did pay some to go after Nora.”
Alpha Toth sighs. “We need more information.”
Rook nods. “Where, when, allies, numbers…”
“And whether any of your own pack is involved,” I say.
Both men growl at me for that one. I grimace but stand my ground. “Look, we know Luna Marie is in on it, and Jeffrey seemed really certain at the social that he was going to take over the pack. The way his thoughts were, it was like he was sure. Like he had a specific plan in place.”
Alpha Toth loses his temper again. This time it’s the coffee table that suffers his wrath. His fists come down on it, and the thing gets smashed to smithereens. “Damn it!”
“Easy, Peter,” Rook says, pulling me off the couch and away from the raging shifter. “We’ll get him. We just need to figure out his plan.”
“How are we supposed to do that? I don’t have time to send in a spy, and if they’re in league with rogues already, we won’t be able to hire any ourselves.”
An idea sparks in my mind. “What about me?”
All three men freeze and wait for me to continue. “What if I invite him to my party? I could read him the way I did the people at your social.”
They all think about it. Nick nods and Alpha Toth starts to, but then shakes his head. Rook shakes his as well. “Too suspect,” he decides. “Marie has already told him you’re digging around. They’ll know you’re up to something if you invite him now.”
“But he won’t know what. Marie’s not aware of what my gifts are. They’d never know I can pick the thoughts right out of their heads.”
“What if we invite all three pack alphas?” Nick suggests. He meets the gazes of Rook and Alpha Toth before continuing. “If we invite you, Axel, and Lucian of the Waterloo pack, you’ll show for sure, and there’s no reason for Lucian not to show.”
Alpha Toth’s eyes light up. “There’s no way Axel would miss it if Lucian and I were both going. His pride wouldn’t allow it.”
“Plus, it makes sense to invite you all. I mean, Cecile is inviting all the vampire clan leaders and prominent fey. She may have already added you all to the guest list. I’ll invite the lunas and betas, too, and then maybe we can see what Jeffrey knows.”
Nick, Alpha Toth, and Rook all fall silent, each thinking about this plan. The wheels turn in each of their minds as they run through the pros, cons, logistics, risks, and so on. “Works for me,” Nick says.
Rook nods, too, and they both look to Alpha Toth. He hesitates. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” he asks me. “It’s your party, after all. And it could be dangerous.”
I snort. “It’s Cecile’s party. I’m just required to show up. Having a case to work on will make it interesting. And I’m already in danger. Marie wants me out of the picture. The sooner we stop her and Axel, the sooner I’ll be safe.”
Alpha Toth sighs. “All right.” His demeanor changes in an instant, turning very somber. “Thank you, Nora. My pack is indebted to you in a way we might never be able to repay.”
Oh man, again with the gratitude. “It’s all good, alpha man. I’m happy to help.” I rub my hands together and grin. “Okay, then. Let’s go party and catch us some cheating lovers.”
I’m sitting at the bar in Underworld while Cecile and a team of people get ready for the party. My party, I guess, though it feels more like Cecile’s since she’s done everything to organize it.
The DJ stand is gone for the evening, and in its place on the stage a band of faeries is setting up musical instruments. The dance floor is covered with red rose petals, and the whole room glows faintly from hundreds of magically burning candles. She’s even had large white columns brought in and placed around the edges of the room, making the place feel like some kind of ancient Greek palace. She’s really outdone herself.
My mouth falls open when her sorcerer friend turns the ceiling of the club into a clear night sky. I blink up at what appears to be an endless sea of stars and a beautiful full moon. “Wow.”
Beside me, Oliver chuckles. “Pretty cool, huh?”
I shake my head, amazed. “It’s beautiful. And it looks so real.”
Oliver smirks. “That’s the point of the illusion.”
I just can’t believe what I’m seeing. “Magic is cool.” I nudge his shoulder playfully and say, “It’s probably a good thing you don’t use magic. I’d make you hate me, asking you to do tricks for me all the time.”
Oliver laughs, but then clears his throat. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you that I’ve started seeing a therapist about that.”
I peel my gaze away from the sky and look at Oliver. “Really?”
Ollie nods. “Remember back when we were trying to find those missing underworlders, and you got into a fight with Gorgeous about me not using my magic?”
“I wouldn’t call it a fight.”
Oliver’s look turns wry. “An argument, then.”
I concede to that one with a small smirk. “Okay, yes, I remember.”
Oliver’s smile vanishes, and he looks at his lap as he shrugs his shoulders once. “I’d never considered that it might be some kind of post traumatic stress that was keeping me from using my magic. Or, at least, not that it was something treatable. You mentioned you’d gone to therapy after it happened, and I figured it couldn’t hurt. Director West knows a werewolf who works as a therapist for shifters who refuse to shift because they’ve lost control in their animal form, or had traumatic experiences. She figured I’m not a shifter, but the problem is basically the same.”
Oliver looks strangely vulnerable right now, so I place my hand on his thigh and lean my head on his shoulder. “And how’s it going?”
Oliver wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me tightly to him without touching any of my skin. “I’ve only had a few appointments with her so far, but I’m hopeful.”
I give his thigh a pat. “I’m sure you’ll get there. You’ll be the most badass sorcerer in the Midwest in no time.”
Oliver chuckles again, shaking his head softly. His hug grows tighter, but instead of pulling away from him, I soak up the physical affection with a sigh of contentment. It’s getting easier for me to touch Oliver. He’s so understanding and considerate of my condition. For some reason, my curse doesn’t affect him the same way it does others. It’s almost like his he’s not affected, and just cares about me like a normal person would. I don’t understand it, but I trust him not to lose control and hurt me the way others have done in my past.
We sit together in peaceful silence until Cecile glides over to us like a Grecian goddess in a flowing blue gown. “Well?” She looks around the room with a proud smile. “What do you think?”
I give her the truth. “It’s beautiful, Cecile. Thanks for moving the date up sooner.”
Cecile sighs. “It wasn’t easy, but it came together nicely enough, and you had a point. The sooner everyone meets you, the sooner they’ll stop attacking you.”
Or more of them will start attacking me. I don’t voice this thought. There’d be no point. Cecile will still make me go upstairs to her suite and change into that dangerous gown she’s picked out for me to wear. “Let’s hope,” I say.
Cecile gently pats my cheek. “Darling, everyone is going to love you. You’ll see.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Oliver’s grip tightens again as he hugs me supportively. “Your friends will keep you safe,” he murmurs. �
�Cecile, me, Ren, Terrance, Parker, Gorgeous, Wulf, Rook…we’ll all be here keeping an eye on you. And I promised not to leave your side all night.”
I’m stunned by his words, though, not because I find it hard to believe they’ll look out for me. It’s just finally occurring to me that I have real, genuine friends. I’ve been alone for so long that having so many people who truly care about me seems impossible. But somehow I’ve managed to build a family of sorts. And with a crazy group of underworlders of all different races. They may be supernatural misfits, but they’re my friends. My family.
My eyes mist over, and my voice comes out raspy when I smile at Cecile and say, “Thank you for doing all of this for me.”
Cecile’s face softens. “You’re welcome, dear.” She claps her hands together, breaking the tender moment. “As adorable as the two of you are right now, it’s time for you to go get ready. Oliver, your tux is in Terrance’s private suite.”
The way Oliver cringes at the word tux is hilarious. “Oh, come on,” I tease him. “You wear a suit to work every day. A tux can’t be that different. And besides, since you’re my date for the evening, I need you looking extra hot so that no one will notice me.”
Oliver snorts. “Right. You could wear sweats and throw your hair in a ponytail, and you’ll still be the most beautiful woman in the room tonight.”
He grins, proud of his cheesy line, and yet laughs about using it at the same time. After rolling my eyes at him, I shoot Cecile a hopeful look. “Can I wear sweats and a ponytail?”
Both Oliver and Cecile laugh.
Cecile herds us upstairs, shooing Oliver down to the end of the hall to Terrance’s room. “You’ll come get me, right?” I ask Oliver, my heart suddenly in my throat. “I won’t have to make my big entrance alone?”
“Of course not,” Cecile assures me as she ushers me into her suite. “A debutante always needs an escort.”
Relief floods me, but I still frown. “A debutante?”
