by Jade White
But the were-jaguar had moved back to allow her space to park, his mouth shut, obviously not going to answer her question.
Grimacing, Miera parked but remained in her car. Two could play this game.
After a moment, the guard approached. “Is something wrong?”
“I want to know your name. I want to know his name.” She pointed to the other guard who was closing the gate. “I want to know why you haven’t asked for my name.”
“As a sign of respect.” He bowed. “I’m sorry, Miera. I did not want to be overbearing.” His cheeks were bright pink. “I, ah…”
“What if I’m not Miera?” She climbed out of her car, arms crossed, and stalked toward him, shoving a finger toward his chest. “What if I’m really a Brutal Claw posing as this Miera?”
The gate closed with a clang, and the other guard approached. Not a hint of fear flashed in his eyes, no doubt either. “I know you’re Miera. Your brother showed me your picture.”
She appraised him. Tall, thick-chested, solid arms, he walked with grace of a cat, the poise of a hunter, and the arrogance that could only come from being heir.
“I take it you’re Beric then.” She crossed her arms again and tapped the fingers of her right hand on her left arm.
“Yes. I thought I would give you the courtesy of seeing me immediately.”
Her eyes narrowed. Was that a dig because her brother had come to see him, to essentially propose for her?
Beric gazed at the other guard, who immediately returned to his post at the gate. “Would you like a tour?” he asked, holding out his hand.
“Would you like me to drop to one knee?” she countered.
His lips quirked and settled into a lopsided smile. “Only if you want to. I don’t have a ring for you.”
“I don’t have one for you either.” She tossed her red hair over her shoulder.
Beric’s laugh was deep and warming, and she found herself laughing too.
“No ring, but I do have this.” Beric reached into his pants pocket—the slacks hung low on his hips she realized—and removed a silver chain. On it was a charm, a white rose. “Not red like blood, but I saw it yesterday, and it made me think of you.”
“You don’t even know me.” She touched the charm but didn’t take the necklace. Did he think he could buy her with gifts? But she had come to him, not the other way around.
Could he want more from her than just a means to protect his pack? The thought terrified her. She hadn’t thought through what exactly it meant to marry Beric, what it meant she would be giving up, but now she was beginning to think about what it could have been like to marry someone she loved.
“You don’t know me either, but you’re willing to marry me so that our packs might have a chance against the Brutal Claws. So, yeah, I don’t know you, but I do know you care about your people, and that means enough to me.” He held up the necklace. “May I?”
A moment passed before she turned around and lifted her hair. After he clasped the necklace on, his hands rested on her shoulders for a moment, his fingers touching bare skin. Her tank top allowed for the skin-to-skin contact, and her shoulders felt aflame from his touch. It wasn’t a caress, and it was over almost as soon as it started, and she found herself wishing he had touched her longer.
Miera swallowed hard before turning around. His eyes were yellow with flecks of gold, his lines hard but not too severe, his nose carved as if from stone. Beric was a rather handsome man, made even more so by the slight scar near his left eye. Without thinking first, she reached up and touched it. “How did that happen?”
“A battle.” He shrugged. “A long time ago. I have a few other scars, too.”
She lifted her tank top to show a two-inch line near her belly button. “My skin’s far from perfect too.”
Maybe that was being a little forward, but the man was engaged to her. He’d see her naked soon enough. She hadn’t thought about sex when she had put forward the idea of wedding the heir of the Teal Warriors, but now the prospect of having heirs with this hunk of a were-jaguar wasn’t something she’d object to. At least he was good looking. If she couldn’t marry for love, maybe it would be easier to settle marrying for lust.
“If I point out all of mine, we’ll be here all day.” He moved closer to her.
Her breathing grew ragged. She was tall, but he towered over her. Miera looked up into his eyes and licked her lips. Was he going to kiss her? She wanted him to. Wanted to feel if his muscles were as hard as they looked, wanted to feel if his hair was as soft as it looked, wanted to feel—
But he only reached for her hand. “A tour?”
“Where does it end?” she asked boldly.
Beric stared down at her. “Wherever you like.” His eyes… she could gaze into them and be lost.
Unnerved by how much her body wanted him, she turned away, subtly—hopefully—increasing the space between them but still holding his hand. “Lead the way.”
He pointed out various buildings—their cafeteria, their school, the church, the houses, a warehouse, the barracks.
“Barracks?” she questioned.
“Once we reach ten years old, we start training. We know various forms of martial arts and how to use firearms. We also learn survival tactics as well.”
“A slash at the right spot or a bite will do the same thing.”
“Yes.” He grinned. “But it’s always better to be prepared.”
Definitely. “Especially now.”
Beric nodded. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
“Yes.” As did most of the Blood Roses. “But I don’t prefer to use one.”
“I wouldn’t think you would.” The look he was giving her was far too intense.
She had to look away and pointed to the houses to detract attention away from herself. Although similar in designs, each house had slight differences, from the door color or the shutters or the lawn decorations. “Which one is yours?”
“This way.” Beric led her past the center of the compound. “The alpha lives there.” He pointed to the building beside it. “I and the other higher members of the pack live here.”
Her heart started to pound as he brought her into his apartment. The living room and attached dining room were spacious. His couch looked especially comfortable. The table for dinner was small with only one chair there, which struck her as sad.
“There’s a kitchen just ahead and beyond that is my bathroom and bedroom. If you want to see…”
She did, and she didn’t. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“We do.” He gestured a long arm toward the couch, his biceps prominent.
Miera sat. He sat beside her, causing the couch to sink slightly, and she found herself leaning heavily against him.
Beric smiled as she tried to straighten herself. “I don’t mind.”
She had to stop this, fawning over a were-jaguar she didn’t know, even if he was to be her husband. “You would if I were ugly.”
He touched her shoulder again, preventing her from shifting away. “Looks don’t matter to me. I told you. You care about your people. I care about mine. We will make us a thing. We’ll make it work. I don’t think I have too many vices.”
And just like that, he had her more at ease again, and she laughed. “Well, isn’t that charming. ‘I don’t think I have too many vices.’”
He grinned. “I was hoping to earn brownie points for honesty.”
Miera bumped her shoulder into his. “It takes more than honesty to get brownie points.”
“Really?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“Really. Brownies have chocolate in them. Chocolate is gold.”
Beric burst out laughing. “Seriously.”
“Okay, fine.” Enough teasing. Besides, they did have to get to know one another. “What are your vices?”
“I tend to be opinionated. I think I’m always right. But I’m loyal and a fighter and I’d do anything for my pack, just like you.”
“So you don’
t smoke?”
“No.”
“Drink?”
“Socially.”
“Drugs?”
“Never.”
She rubbed her chin. “I guess that’s not too bad, as far as vices are concerned.”
He snorted. “What about you?”
“Who, me?” She put a hand to her chest. “I don’t have any vices.”
“Right.” He gave her that lopsided grin again.
“Okay…” She paused. “I tend to be a little reckless, and I go for what I want.”
He leaned closer to her. “What do you want?”
For some reason, it almost sounded like he had said “who” instead of “what.” “I don’t know.” She glanced away.
Beric cupped her chin and turned her face toward his. Her eyes were already closed, even before his lips touched hers. Who parted their lips first, she didn’t know, but the kiss didn’t remain chaste for long. Somehow, she was sitting on his lap, her hands running through his hair, feeling the tight muscles of his shoulders, while his hands explored her back.
Lust, pure and simple. Would that make their marriage easier or harder?
She pulled back, breaking off the kiss, then disentangled herself from him entirely and stood up. “I should…”
“Are you hungry?” he asked easily, as if they hadn’t just shared a very passionate kiss.
Miera still felt a little dazed. “Um… sure.”
He didn’t bring her to the kitchen but to the cafeteria. Since it wasn’t lunchtime, the place was fairly quiet, with only a few were-jaguars inside. Beric went to the back to get them some food, and Miera sat at a table far away from anyone else.
Her cell rang. She answered it immediately.
“How’s it going?” her best friend Lisa asked.
“Not bad actually.” She made sure to keep her voice low even though no one was near enough to overhear her.
“Ah, so he’s hot then.” Lisa giggled.
“This isn’t about looks!”
“I know, I know, but him being hot can’t hurt any. Good. I’m glad. I thought you were crazy for wanting to do this.”
“Maybe I am,” she said softly.
“Miera—”
“I have to go.” She hung up. Why had she been so short with her friend? She had a lot on her mind, yes, and she was feeling a little rundown and tired all the time. She ate more than normal this morning to try and store up some energy, but it wasn’t helping enough.
A minute later, Beric approached with sandwiches. “It’s not much but…”
“It’s fine.” She stared at him as they ate. Beric seemed like a decent enough guy. That he hadn’t pressured her for more despite her coming onto him and then pulling back spoke volumes. She wasn’t ready to give her body to him. Who knew if she would ever be willing to? We’ll worry about that later.
It was the “we” part that frightened her the most.
CHAPTER FOUR
Beric couldn’t forget about the kiss. He hadn’t wanted to scare her off, but he had wanted her from the moment she pulled up. Her frustration at thinking he and the guard weren’t being careful enough had only made his desire to know her stronger. She was fierce, just like Matthias had told him.
They finished their food in silence. As he gathered their trash, she said, “We have a lot to talk about. Concerning the wedding.”
“Oh, flowers and colors and all that?” He waved his hand. “You can pick all that.”
“You don’t want to have a say at all?”
“I don’t need to. The wedding is the important part.” He shrugged. Wait… Did it mean a lot to her? “It’s not that I don’t care. It’s just… women care more…”
She laughed. He’d thought she seemed a little upset when he had first brought over the sandwiches, but she seemed happier now. Since she had been fine during their walk over here, he thought it wasn’t because of the kiss. Miera had definitely kissed back. He had spied her on her phone, so maybe she hadn’t been happy with whomever she had been talking to. He didn’t know her well enough yet to pry.
“I’m not the kind of girl who dreamed of my wedding day since I was three, but I’ll plan it. My best friend will have a field day with it.”
“Good. That’s settled then.”
“Yes. So it’s a go then? Officially?”
“Officially.” He nodded. He’d told her that looks didn’t matter to him, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to her. That fiery hair sure matched her personality, and he couldn’t help but wonder what she was like in the bedroom. Probably just as wild and fierce as she was outside of it.
She glanced at her watch. “I should probably head back if I want to make sure I return home before dark. I… We’ll talk soon.”
He stood. “Any idea when we’ll get married?”
“I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “The sooner we join our packs, the sooner we can try and help each other prepare to fend off the Brutal Claws.”
“It can’t be tomorrow, I agree. We need time to finish fixing the fence and to set up more defenses around the compound. Just let me know where and when—”
“And what to wear?” She smirked at him.
“Yeah, sure. Anything. Whatever you need from me.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
Beric threw out their trash, and he walked her back to her car. She left, waving to him as she drove away.
All in all, I can’t be unhappy with the arrangement. At least not yet.
***
A week passed. Every other day, Beric talked with Miera on the phone. Instead of learning more about each other, they talked more about the Brutal Claws and how they needed to get married and soon so they and their people could be safer. While no one had been killed recently, more and more Brutal Claws were spotted near both packs.
Unfortunately, however, there was a problem fixing one of the portions of the fence, which meant a delay in the wedding was necessary. Beric wished to delay the ceremony until after they finished their work on the fence, and Miera agreed. The last thing he wanted was for his men to be unfocused by the other pack and possibly reinforce the wall incorrectly. Attention to detail could help save them all.
When his father wanted to send out were-jaguars for a scouting mission, Beric volunteered and refused to back down. His father eventually relented, but only after Beric agreed that he would not go alone.
Considering that every were-jaguar who could be spared was working to reinforce the fence or to build it up higher, Beric opted to call Matthias. Maybe he should’ve called Miera instead, but she might prove to be too much of a distraction, something he couldn’t afford during a scouting mission. He needed to focus. At least he might be able to learn more about Miera through her brother.
Matthias was already often acting as a go-between for the two packs, and as luck would have it, he was already on his way toward the Teal Warriors. Within an hour, the two of them were out in the wilderness, searching for any signs of were-jaguars.
“So… how is Miera?” Beric asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
Matthias stared at him as if to say we’re really going to do this?
“I guess that’s kinda awkward for you.”
“No.” He sighed. “She does it to me, too. I don’t understand why she doesn’t come over more to see you, but she said you two talk on the phone.”
“We do. But it’s mostly about…” Beric swept his arm out to encompass the forest they were scouting.
“The Brutal Claws.” Matthias’s lips twisted into a grimace. “Not exactly a fun conversation then.”
“Not really.” Plus, half the time he spent talking to her, he was daydreaming about their kiss.
“Well, what do you want to know?”
His mind went blank, but then he grinned. “Tell me something she’d hate for me to know.”
Matthias laughed. “You want me to risk my neck for you?”
“She doesn’t have to find out,” Beric promised.
> “Like you would be able to keep it from her.” Matthias shook his head. “No can do, man.”
“It must be really juicy then. Come on. Spill. I’ll go to my grave before I’ll tell her who told me.”
“Easy for you to say. Who else would have told you?” Matthias grumbled.
“You’re my future brother-in-law. Give me this.”
“Fine. My sister used to love eating chocolate chip cookies.”
Beric stepped over a large tree root. “She mentioned to me how much she loves chocolate.”
“Yeah, well, to get her back for a prank she did to me, I made her some cookies, but instead of chocolate chips, I used mouse turds.”
“You gave your sister crap cookies?” Beric couldn’t believe it.
Matthias burst out laughing. “I totally did. She ate two before she noticed they tasted strange. I never confessed, and she definitely got me back twenty times over, but still…”
Beric laughed too. “Man, that’s disgusting!”
“I know. Once she realized, she ran after me, trying to shove a cookie into my mouth, but I was faster than her and she never caught me. I can’t imagine what they tasted like! I hid a chocolate-scented candle in the kitchen so she wouldn’t be able to smell the cookies themselves.”
“Geez, you really thought of everything.”
“I had to. Miera’s smart. She was never easy to trick. Playing pranks on each other was something we always did growing up. That one was my prized one.” Matthias beamed.
“So she plays jokes and is smart. What else?”
“If she trusts you, she’ll do anything for you, but if you break that trust, you’re screwed. That girl can hold a grudge forever.”
“She doesn’t have one against you,” Beric pointed out.
“Only because we’re siblings. Otherwise, she would’ve killed me for half the pranks I’ve pulled.” Matthias’s features turned suddenly serious. “Man, whatever you do, don’t make her have a grudge against you. She’ll make your life a living hell.”
