16. Wolves and Panties
Chapter sixteen
Wolves and Panties
Monique
What do I want to do?
My throat tightened.
Only Duck and I still sat at the table. The men that had carried me up, remained at a small table in front of us.
This is so uncomfortable.
As I sat on the throne, a peculiar sense of power washed over me. It was an unfamiliar and intoxicating sensation, like wearing a huge crown I never asked for or becoming an accidental queen in a kingdom of shadows. The grandeur of the throne, the opulent surroundings, and the attentive faces around me lent a surreal quality to the moment.
Every pair of eyes in the space remained fixed on me, and those gazes were heavy with curiosity.
I swallowed.
With each whisper and sidelong glance, I was acutely aware of their scrutiny, the same scrutiny Lei must have endured his entire life.
To grow up under such an unrelenting microscope with every action and word analyzed, had to have been a challenge. I could have never dealt with the constant watchfulness, the need to always present a facade of strength and confidence. For me, it would have been fucking exhausting.
I glanced around, meeting the eyes of those watching me, and further realized the complexity of Lei's world.
How has he done this all his life?
I straightened my back, trying to project a calm I didn't feel. My hands rested gently on the arms of the throne, and I made an effort to appear composed and dignified.
Okay. . .why are they still watching me like that?
It gave me a new perspective on Lei—a deeper understanding of the man behind the Mountain Master mask. All watched while I sat there, as this temporary queen in a king's absence, and the whole time my respect for Lei grew.
Damn. This is hard.
Duck smirked. “Lift your chopsticks and start eating.”
Oh yeah. That's right.
Unease ran through me, but I did what he said.
I hesitated for a moment, feeling the heaviness of those gazes, before I slowly reached for the chopsticks beside my plate and lifted them.
Then, a subtle, collective shift occurred in the space.
The guests mirrored my actions.
Jesus Christ. This is insane.
I took a deep breath, steadied my nerves, picked up a piece of fried tofu, and brought it to my lips. The texture was soft and silky, the flavor subtle and savory. I chewed slowly, savoring the taste and the sensation of the food in my mouth.
Around me, the chatter and laughter finally resumed.
Thank God. I was about to run my ass off this mountain.
Still. . .despite the resumption of dining, the atmosphere remained charged. Conversations started up again, a gentle murmur of voices that filled the grand space.
But the undercurrent of curiosity and speculation about me continued.
I caught hushed dialogue, punctuated by discreet glances in my direction. Their eyes, some wide with wonder, others narrow with appraisal, flickered towards me between bites and sips of wine.
Man. . .they better stop looking at me.
On the right, a woman in a blue gown loudly laughed at something her companion must have said. Yet, even as she laughed, her eyes darted towards me and remained there for far too long.
I wanted to stir, but I kept my back straight.
On my left, a group of men with tailored robes, held glasses of brandy and spoke in low tones. Yet, even their gazes kept shifting my way evaluating and assessing.
There I was, in the midst of this mountain top gathering, feeling like a display piece in a museum.
Each bite I took was slow and deliberate, an attempt to appear at ease under all of these watchful eyes.
Duck leaned forward. “You're doing excellent.”
“Am I?”
“I would have fumbled and ran off. I hate being the center of attention.”
“I'm not a fan of that either.”
“Too bad.” Duck chuckled. “You will need to get used to that.”
Horror hit me.
“After Lei leaving you like this on the throne as if to say. . .”
“What?”
“That you're in charge until he returns—”
“Oh no. He didn't say that.”
“He basically did.”
“He did not.” I placed my chopsticks on the table, grabbed my glass of wine, and took a large gulp, hoping the alcohol would ease my nerves.
It wasn't lost on me that many people at the party immediately stopped eating and began drinking wine too.
One man with a neatly trimmed beard, watched me and raised his glass high. Then, he nodded and took a dramatic gulp.
O-kay.
Another group of women at a table near us, all held their glasses of wine in the air too and waved at me.
Waving back, I whispered, “Are they drinking wine because I'm drinking it?”
Duck scanned the space. “Oh I'm sure of it.”
“Well, how do I get them to just chill out and enjoy themselves?”
“Unfortunately, it can't be helped.” He snatched up a lobster claw and broke it. “Lots of people here want to be in Lei's favor, so if Lei thinks you should be on a throne in front of them, then they will try to win favor with you .”
“By mirroring me?”
“Is that not the best form of flattery?” He nibbled on his lobster.
“It's freaking me out.”
“It's all a game of power and perception here. You're sitting on the throne, even if temporarily. That holds meaning in these circles.”
I put the wine down and pretended to eat.
Everyone else did the same.
Chuckling, Duck put the lobster claw back on his plate. “This is hilarious.”
“It's not.”
“You have no idea what you got yourself into.”
“Well. . .according to Yan, I didn't get myself into anything. Leo did it.”
“Yeah, but you did something to get Uncle Leo's attention long ago.”
“I didn't.”
“You did.” Duck finished the claw and then wiped his hands. “By the way, getting Rowe Street Mob to guard you was a mistake.”
I frowned at him. “Yeah. I gathered that today.”
Duck selected a chocolate covered strawberry near him. “I should explain a very big fact to you.”
“And what's that?”
Duck twisted the chocolate strawberry back and forth between two fingers. “We're wolves. All of us. Wolves with sharp fangs and bloodied claws.”
I widened my eyes.
“And then you came around like a little lamb, innocent and sweet. Just trying to survive and do the right thing among criminals.” He grinned. “It was as if someone poured blood in the water to draw sharks.”
I swallowed hard.
“If I were Banks, I would have done the same. Put tons of men around you.” Duck nodded. “We're lucky he didn't start a war on this mountain.”
I stiffened.
Duck continued to study the strawberry as chocolate began to drip onto his fingers. “And if I were Lei, I would have done the same too. Break legs and arms. Put them all in the hospital.”
A cold shiver sliced up my spine. “And if you were me , what would you do?”
“Run.” Duck lifted his view to me and popped the chocolate strawberry in his mouth. It didn't take long for him to swallow it down, and I wondered if he had even chewed it at all.
But what he did take time with was licking the chocolate off his fingers.
Watching me, he slowly trailed his tongue around each finger, gathering up all the chocolate.
Ummm. . .
His tongue made small circles and strokes, before finally giving one last lap at the tips of his fingers to savor the remaining drops of chocolate.
As if enjoying my reaction to him savoring the strawberry, a wicked smile spread across his face. “Wolves.”
I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “You better behave. We're not doing another Meatball Gate situation.”
“I'm supposed to give you back your panties.”
Shock almost knocked me off the throne. “What?”
“Blue panties. Silky. Damp. Cute lace on the outline. And the scent. . .” Duck raised his hand to his mouth, pressed his thumb and forefinger together and pressed his lips against the tips. “Chef's kiss.”
“Why do you have my panties?”
He leaned his head to the side. “Lei didn't tell you?”
I blinked. “What the fuck? Lei knows you have my panties?”
“We fought about it.” Duck considered that fact and then nodded. “Aww. But then he returned to the tent and fought Rowe Street Mob. I guess he didn't get a chance to tell you about the panties.”
“Can we go back to why you have my panties?”
“They were just lying there by the river with your clothes and his.”
“And you thought it was a good idea to pick them up?”
“I wanted to throw everything in the river.”
“Excuse me?”
“I get jealous easy.” Duck shrugged. “But I shouldn't. I love Lei, and. . .he deserves to find some sense of relief after everything that happened to him this month.”
“So. . .you pocketed the panties?”
“Something like that.” He pointed to his pocket. “I can give them to you now.”
“No.” I looked around. “I'm going to knock you out, if you do that.”
A dark chuckle left him.
The last thing I needed was all these people around us, witnessing that ridiculous act.
I returned to the glass of wine and took another gulp.
Of course, people around the party lifted their glasses in the air and drank too.
Jesus Christ.
I put my focus back on Duck. “So. . .”
He quirked his brows. “So?”
“You can keep the panties.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes but understand this.” I pointed to him. “I don't date cousins nor brothers or best friends. It's all less messy that way.”
He laughed.
“What's so funny?”
He smirked. “You think you have some sort of choice in this?”
“Yes, Duck. I do.”
Duck's smirk disappeared from his face as he pointed to the empty throne next to me. “I didn't like the way Lei left without saying goodbye.”
I sighed.
“I know more than anyone how obsessed Lei was with Chanel. I was one of the few that had to stand outside damn near every night with him in the cold as he gazed up at her bedroom window while she slept.”
I blinked. “Say what now?”
“Always freezing my balls off—”
“Standing outside the window?”
“And then there were the ghosts. I really couldn't see them, but I could fucking feel them. Cold and sad.” Duck shook his head as if sensing ghosts around him. “While I'm also depressed that Chanel passed, I'm a little happy that I don't have to help him with stalking her.”
“Ghosts. . .stalking. . .” I took another gulp of wine.
“Never forget, Monique. We're wolves.” Duck winked. “Sharp fangs. Bloodied claws.”
I continued to hold the wine, knowing I would be finishing that glass and getting more. “Okay. . .let's just get back to one of these. . .other topics.”
Duck tilted his head to the side. “How about let's return to the panties?”
“Yes.”
“I can keep them?”
“Yes, because the whole situation is weird. Throw them away or whatever but—”
“Oh, I'm definitely not throwing them away—”
“Well, whatever you do with them, don't tell me about it—”
“Because you want visuals. Video or photos?”
I shrieked. “No.”
Duck chuckled.
“You're not funny.”
He touched his chest. “Many women find me hilarious.”
“It's probably due to your corkscrewed penis.”
He chuckled again. “That could be it.”
Shaking my head, I took a sip of the wine and then set the glass down. “You're fun, Duck. A fucking blast actually. And. . .I really do consider you as a new friend.”
A neutral expression fell over his face.
“But I'm serious. I don't date brothers, cousins, best friends, etc. Which means that I would love for us to be good friends and nothing more.”
“And if Lei discovers that he no longer wants to spend time with you?”
Tension gathered in my shoulders.
He gestured back to the empty throne. “You do know that he's going to spend the rest of this night, searching for Chanel's body.”
My gut twisted into knots.
“And if Lei doesn't find her corpse, he may not return to the mountain at all.” Duck frowned. “And. . .if he does find her corpse. . .he still may not return. Do you know why?”
Sadness rose in my chest.
“Because Lei has spent all of his life focused on Chanel and with Yan taking the body, my cousin may start to feel guilty and return to his obsession simply due to loyalty for what he lost.”
I gritted my teeth.
“What will you do then?”
“Then. . .I will go home.”
“And where is home, Monique?”
“I'm still figuring that part out.”
“You now own Lotus Blossom.”
“I do.”
“It's a nice property.”
“I'm sure it is.”
“It's so nice. You'll probably stay there. In fact, it would be crazy to not move in.” Duck picked up another chocolate covered strawberry.
I made sure to not focus on the fruit between his fingers. “Maybe. I'm still weighing my options.”
“If you stay in the East, in Lotus Blossom, barely a five-minute walk from my suite. . . and Lei returns to obsessing over Chanel's dead body. . .” Duck popped the chocolate strawberry in his mouth and groaned in delight. “Mmmm.”
Swallowing, I watched as he licked his fingers clean. His tongue slowly swirled around each one, and I felt a warmth build between my legs that I hadn't expected.
Heat radiated within my core.
Duck's eyes met mine and a mischievous grin spread across his face. He knew exactly what he was doing to me.
“Well. . .” I blushed. “I'm just taking this all. . .day by day.”
“As you should.” He placed both hands on the table and threaded his fingers. “Just never forget. . .”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Wolves. Sharp fangs. Bloodied claws.”
“And you don't forget.” I pointed at him.
He eyed me.
“Cousins. Brothers. Best friends. I don't do messy.”
He laughed and then his phone rang, interrupting the crazy conversation. Sighing, he pulled it out, checked the screen, rolled his eyes, and answered. “What?”
I tried to catch the person's voice on the other end.
“Do you really need me?” He frowned. “It's one dead body. Surely, it didn't go too far—”
The other person must have interrupted him because Duck shook his head and listened with an annoyed expression.
“Yes. Yes.” Duck glanced over his shoulder at the men who had carried me up and gestured for them to come over.
I took it all in.
“Sure. I'll be there.” Duck slowly rose. “Just let me make sure Monique gets back to her tent.”
Oh fuck. Duck has to go too.
I gazed around at all the strangers intently watching me.
Damn it. . .I don't want to be alone on this mountain.
“Yes. Yes.” Duck groaned in annoyance. “I'm just taking her back to the tent. Nothing else will happen.”
That must be Chen.
Duck shut off the phone and put it in his pocket. “They apparently need my help.”
“Did they find Chanel's body?”
“No, but they found some of Yan's men. It'll probably be a big fight.” Standing by his chair, Duck watched the men come over. “So. . .I figured you would want me to get you out of here, instead of simply running off without saying goodbye.”
“That would be nice.”
“And we can finish our conversation about wolves and panties later.”
“Absolutely not.”