by Anya Nowlan
Connecting the dots as Dakota laid them out, Wes couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Daddy issues?” he blurted out, eyebrows rising. “You’re telling me Elias Campbell is using highly dangerous, dark magic because of his daddy issues?”
“The papers say nothing about him suddenly falling in love, or being cured of an illness, or really anything else I could attribute to someone using spells to better his life. I don’t know how many enemies he has in his private life, but in the business realm, none of those people have dropped dead or suffered any losses. This is all I could come up with,” Dakota shrugged.
In a twisted way, it kind of made sense. Elias didn’t strike him as a man that was used to being told ‘no’, wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted… Combine that with never feeling worthy of his father’s legacy, and perhaps that really could drive a person to extremes.
Whatever logic Wes could find in Elias’ actions though, it didn’t exactly endear him to the man.
“A rich boy looking to get even richer,” he muttered, shaking his head.
“I never argued he wasn’t a grade-A douche,” Dakota shrugged. “But, I found something useful, too,” she added, holding up a finger. “Elias is going to be at a fundraiser for lung cancer research. That’s the cancer that killed his dad.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Wes arched a brow at her.
“I hope you packed a tux into that backpack of yours,” she grinned back.
Twenty-Seven
Dakota
Dakota let her bag fall on the floor as she and Wes looked around their new hotel room near the financial district. It looked somewhat sterile, with its black and white color scheme, modern, plastic chairs and wall art made up entirely of geometric shapes. But Dakota wasn’t there to judge the interior. If everything went well, she wouldn’t be spending much time in the room anyway.
At her side, Wes cast a meaningful glance at the double beds.
“Is this your way of telling me I hog the covers?” he asked.
“No,” she quickly replied.
In truth, she hadn’t really given the bed situation as much thought as she should have. Her relationship with Wes had suddenly changed, and she was still adjusting. A part of her still fought against the feelings she was very quickly developing for him, in an attempt to spare her when their adventure together inevitably came to an end.
“I didn’t want to be presumptuous, that’s all,” she shrugged, not knowing what else to say.
“How very chivalrous of you,” Wes grinned, stepping closer, until she was boxed in by his massive frame.
His scent, musky and deep, hit her like an aphrodisiac, reminding her of what it felt like to run her hands over his bare skin. But she knew she couldn’t let herself get sidetracked. They were in New York for a reason, and it wasn’t to check another state off their sexual bucket list, as tempting as that sounded.
Yet, when he cupped the side of her face, fingers sliding into her hairline, she couldn’t help but lean into the touch, her hesitation evaporating. It seemed Wes had an effect on her that was stronger than any spell she had ever encountered.
“Is this presumptuous?” he asked, brushing his thumb across her lower lip, and leaving her entirely transfixed.
She could already feel all her blood rushing south, her heartbeat speeding up as his head dipped lower, his eyes searching hers for permission. She tilted her chin up, telling him he had it.
His mouth came crashing down on hers, immediately drowning her in a kiss so fierce any onlooker would have thought they had just reunited after years apart. It was nearly impossible not to get swept up in it, to forget everything else and ride the wave, wherever it took her.
But that annoying little part in the back of her mind wouldn’t let her. So before she completely lost herself, Dakota forced herself to pull away, placing her palms against his chest.
“Clothes,” she blurted out, earning a puzzled look from Wes, whose hand was still tangled in her hair. “We need clothes for the fundraiser tonight.”
Wes pulled away, tilting his head at her, the passion he had poured into their kiss still visible in his eyes.
“We need them right now?” he asked. “You still haven’t told me what your plan is for even getting us inside. I could bust through some guards if need be, but that’s not exactly subtle.”
“No need for any headcracking,” Dakota assured him, taking another step back and hoping the extra distance would keep her from jumping back into his arms. “But right now I need to make sure we blend in once we’re inside,” she added, giving him a quick once-over.
“I’ll come with you,” he replied, but she waved him off.
She needed to clear her head, and having Wes around seemed to have just the opposite effect.
“What if there’s another attack?” Wes argued. “I can’t let you go by yourself.”
“No demon’s going to attack me in the middle of a clothing store,” Dakota shook her head. “They might be evil, murderous creatures but they’re not dumb. If people find out demons are real, they’ll start thinking up ways to fight, and eventually eradicate them. Demons would rather operate from the shadows, slowly building up strength, than risk that.”
“Dakota…” Wes started, but she just grabbed her purse and dashed to the door before he could say anything else.
“I’m a big girl,” she said, pushing the door open. “And I’ll be back before you know it,” she added, closing it behind her and almost running to the elevators, in case Wes decided to stop her.
It wasn’t like she could really stop him from carrying her back into the room if he really wanted to. The muscles on that man were ridiculous, not to mention his shifter strength pretty much made her a delicate little flower next to him.
Still, she had a feeling he would let her have her space. The hasty exit alone must have betrayed her conflicting feelings about their whole situation.
Walking over to the elevators, she got into the first available one, slumping against the wall as the doors closed in front of her. Taking in a deep breath, she fished around in her purse until she found her phone. The thought of what she was going to do next was already giving her a headache, but she wasn’t really swimming in options.
Scrolling through the contacts and hitting the call button, she pressed the phone to her ear, bracing herself.
“Hello, dearest aunt,” she said when Helen picked up. “I’m going to need one more tiny little favor.”
Alone in the hotel room bathroom, Dakota smoothed out her floor-length dress, studying herself in the mirror. The emerald green, silky number fit her well and was overall comfortable, despite the open back making her feel a little exposed.
She smoothed the frizz out of her hair with some products, something she rarely bothered with. But this fundraiser was a fancy event, and that meant putting in the effort. She could hear Wes moving around on the other side of the door, probably getting into his tux. He had it easy – that man could look good in anything. It was like he woke up runway-ready.
It was hardly fair.
And worst of all, Dakota’s little shopping trip had brought her absolutely no clarity. She had spent half the time fantasizing about what would have happened between her and Wes if she hadn’t run out of the room earlier, and the other half trying to convince herself she shouldn’t get any more involved with him.
We’re kicking demon ass together and we’ve already had sex. Can we even get more involved?
Frustrated by her own confusion, Dakota focused her attention on putting on some mascara and a swipe of red lipstick instead. She couldn’t afford to be distracted when they got to the fundraiser, so she opted for ignoring her inner turmoil altogether.
You know, the healthy approach.
With one last glance in the mirror, she took a deep breath and stepped back out into the room. Wes was already standing in the middle of it, all ready to go by the looks of it.
“Seems I
got the right size,” she remarked, letting her eyes slide over Wes’ body, clad in a sleek, black tux that made him look like James Bond.
Fitting, since they were basically going on a secret mission.
“You have a great eye,” Wes smiled, but he didn’t approach her.
No, he had been carefully keeping his distance ever since she got back, which she appreciated and hated at the same time. Who knew the attentions of the sexiest man alive could be so confusing?
“That dress is amazing, by the way,” he commented, barely even looking at her before turning toward the door. “You ready to go?” he asked.
Not really, she sighed to herself.
There were so many things that could go wrong, and the last thing she wanted was to get trapped in a banquet hall with a hundred innocent bystanders. There was no telling the lengths Elias would go to keep those books to himself.
“Let’s do this,” was what she said aloud, though.
Twenty-Eight
Wes
The white mansion on the outskirts of the city, where the fundraiser was being held, was bathed in lights, with valets running around outside, parking fancy cars and gathering generous tips. A buzz of voices and muted laughter filled the air, diamonds and pearls glinting along with the movements of the immaculately made-up women who strolled inside the building.
This was definitely not Wes’ scene, and it felt slightly odd being out of his usual attire of jeans and a t-shirt. Dakota, on the other hand, looked right at home in her elegant gown, her hips swaying as she walked along on his arm, her head held high and her shoulders pushed back.
They had parked their car a ways off, just in case Elias’ guards were on the lookout for it, and were slipping past the valets toward the open door. Two men in suits stood on either side of the doorway, one with a tablet in his hand and the other looking like he was more used to holding a gun than an iPad.
“Are you sure we’re on the list?” Wes asked quietly, as they ascended the stairs leading to the door.
“We better be,” she whispered, before giving the guys at the door a dazzling smile. “Dakota Thompson,” she said aloud, and the man with the tablet nodded, scrolling along the edge of the screen.
“Welcome,” he smiled, looking up. “Have a wonderful evening.”
“Thank you,” Dakota nodded, and off they went.
Wes kept his eyes open and his senses calibrated to detect Elias. He still remembered the man’s scent from when Dakota confronted him outside his hotel, and while sniffing him out would be more difficult in the sea of smells in the fundraiser, he trusted his nose to give him a heads up.
“Your aunt must know all the right people,” he commented, as he and Dakota walked along the long halls of the mansion.
The place looked elegant, if a little showy for Wes’ tastes. Paintings and sculptures lined the walls, with accents of gold along the edges of the picture frames. The carpet leading the way to the banquet hall was a lush red, offsetting the white of the walls and high ceiling.
“These are her kind of people,” Dakota replied, with a delicate shrug of her shoulder. “She brunches with a bunch of the women here on a regular basis. She might not be as wealthy as she used to be, but she still likes to keep up appearances.”
“Well, at least she got us past the door,” Wes commented.
“I think she might be a little scared of me,” Dakota laughed. “Or maybe she was just excited I would have to put on a gown for once.”
“Which you look stunning in, by the way,” he remarked.
“Thank you,” she smiled. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“No one is going to be looking at me tonight. Trust me,” Wes replied.
She gave him another smile, but he could tell she was preoccupied. And while she was still holding on to his arm, there was a distance between them that hadn’t been there before. He had felt it ever since he had kissed her earlier in the hotel room.
Ah, yes. The kiss that pretty much sent her running out of the room.
At least she wasn’t fighting his compliments anymore. That had to mean something, right? Either way, it wasn’t the time or place to start questioning Dakota about what was making her pull away from him.
“Yes,” Dakota muttered under her breath, leading him toward the side of the banquet hall, which was now quickly filling up with people. “At least the food at these events is always awesome,” she grinned, tilting her head at the set-up of over-the-top finger foods.
Wes glanced over at the stage set up at the front of the huge room, listening to snippets of extremely boring conversations going on all around him. There was still no sign of Elias, and his wolf was restless, either sensing the possible danger of he and Dakota being there or the fact Dakota seemed to be second-guessing her involvement with him.
It’s going to be a long night.
A gray-haired man waved and walked off the stage, marking the end of yet another speech on how important continuing cancer research was, and how all the people in attendance were generous saints. Wes and Dakota kept to the back of the room, where they had a view of the entrance and everything else going on.
“What do you think?” Wes whispered. “Fashionably late or a no-show?”
“He could still show. Maybe he wanted to avoid the speeches,” she replied.
“I wish we would have avoided the speeches,” Wes muttered.
“What, you didn’t already know cancer was bad and giving away your money will make you feel better about yourself?” she asked, shooting him a playful look.
“I’m a changed man,” he nodded, putting on a serious face.
The crowd around them applauded, and he and Dakota followed suit. The stage was quickly cleared, and in place of a microphone stand, sheet music stands were set up. Another round of applause led a set of musicians to the stage, who quickly took their places with instruments in hand.
“Now what?” Wes asked, when the clapping had subsided.
“Champagne, mingling, dancing,” she replied, her eyes scanning over the crowd. “You know, the fun part,” she added, laughing when there were absolutely no traces of excitement on Wes’ face. “Or in our case, the part where we try to locate a spellcasting maniac in a sea of rich people.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Wes grinned.
Dakota shook her head.
“I swear, this stuff excites you way more than it…” she started to say, but Wes cut her off when a whiff of a familiar scent reached his nose.
“Hold on,” he said, taking a deeper breath, his head on a swivel.
“What?” Dakota immediately asked, her gaze following his. “Is he here?”
Wes had to suppress a growl building in his chest.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Do you know where exactly? We’d better avoid him seeing us if we don’t want to get kicked out,” she remarked, hooking her arm in his once again.
“My nose doesn’t come with a compass, unfortunately,” he replied. “But the scent is getting stronger.”
People were starting to take to the dance floor, with the band starting a soft, low-tempo song. Wes kept scanning for Elias’ blond hair while keeping his smoky scent in his nostrils. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but it smelled more acrid than it had the last time Wes had met the man.
In the sea of black tuxes and colorful evening gowns, it was hard for even Wes to single out one person. But when his eyes fixed on a familiar silhouette, he knew in an instant – it was Elias.
He watched the man slowly turn around, a champagne glass between his fingers, his line of sight set straight on Dakota.
Shit!
Thinking on his feet, Wes quickly grabbed her waist and spun her toward the dance floor, fast enough to make her stumble on her feet.
“Whoa,” she muttered, going along with him despite Wes catching her by surprise.
Pressing her against him, he guided her toward the middle of the floor, where they would be more hidden
among the other couples slow-dancing all around them.
“I saw him,” he whispered, dipping his mouth to her ear.
It was hard to miss the shiver that ran down her spine when his lips brushed against her skin, or the way her scent changed, warming and telling him his touch did not leave her unaffected in the least.
Just when I thought keeping myself from kissing her again couldn’t get any more difficult.
Twenty-Nine
Dakota
Squeezed against Wes, Dakota was having a hard time focusing on why she was really at the fundraiser, and unfortunately, it wasn’t to dance with him. But with his hands on her body, moving her along to the music, that was way too easy to forget.
With the thin fabric of her dress, it was almost as if his fingers on her lower back were caressing her bare skin. She had to remind herself that the man she should be focused on was Elias Campbell, not Wes.
“You saw him?” she whispered, keeping her head low and hiding behind her hair.
“And he almost saw us,” he replied.
“Hence the rush to the dance floor,” Dakota nodded.
“That wasn’t the only reason,” Wes said, dipping her backwards before pulling her back up against his chest.
“Hey, focus,” Dakota warned, all the while grinning from ear to ear.
“What? In spy movies, the heroes always have a little fun before completing their mission,” he arched a brow at her, while continuing to whirl her around.
“Hey, you’re pretty good at his,” Dakota remarked, glancing down at his feet.
“I’m not a complete uncultured savage,” he grinned, hazel eyes twinkling with mischief. “Despite being a wolf and living in the middle of the forest.”
Dakota only smiled at that, forcing herself to look away before she got completely lost in the moment. Peeking over Wes’ shoulder, she carefully scanned the crowd, and she nearly jumped when she caught sight of Elias, chatting with two men and their wives.
