Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Aster
I ease awake from a dreamless sleep with a deep sense of peace in my body. The scent of a delicious male with amber and pine notes fills my nostrils.
For one moment, it feels right. Like I’m somewhere familiar. Like I’ve woken this way a thousand times, and every time was sweetness.
Then I remember where I am.
I gasp and try to sit up, only to discover Noah’s still in the bed with me, his heavy arm wrapped around my waist.
He jerks at my sudden movement and then slowly releases me. Something hard brushes against my ass. My body is untouched, but I’ve witnessed the Alpha Rites. I know what this means.
Noah’s aroused.
I quickly roll off the bed, squaring off to him. The soft flannel shirt sleeves of the shirt I borrowed from him flap open, hanging far past my hands.
He sits up, and I get a full view of his naked and muscled torso.
When he lifts a hand to rub his mussed hair, I see the tattoos that trace his forearms, which give him a rugged, alpha look.
I want to examine them up close. To see what he chose to ink on his body.
I suspect it’s something intentional. He doesn't strike me as someone who did it on a whim.
Or for looks. Tattooing a shifter is a painful process involving adding salt to the ink mixture to keep our natural healing from absorbing it.
His nostrils flare like he’s taking in my scent. He throws off the covers and swings his legs off the side of the bed. “You said you weren’t scared of me.”
My gaze darts to the tent in his sweatpants. How big is he? What would it be like to…
Ack! Why am I thinking this way? I’m not interested in this male. I’m not.
He glances down and adjusts himself. “You’re scared of my dick.” He samples the air again and grows thoughtful. “No, you’re scared of your body’s reaction to me.”
Heat flushes up my neck. Damn him. He must smell both my fear and arousal. I hold the flannel closed at the neck, as if to keep him from seeing my throat. As if that, alone, would be too much of an invitation.
“I’m sorry I kissed you.” He holds his palms up. “That’s not what I want from you.” He turns and stalks out of the bedroom, almost like he’s a little pissed.
At me? Or at himself?
“What do you want from me?” I call toward his back, forgetting he can’t hear me.
I chase him into the kitchen and tap his shoulder. “What do you want from me?”
“We’ll get to that.” He pulls open the refrigerator door and pulls out a carton of eggs and a slab of bacon. “After I feed you.”
He wants to feed me. That shouldn’t make my heart flap its wings like a trapped bird in a cage.
It’s the word choice. Not after we eat. Or after breakfast.
After I feed you.
That sounds like something a male wolf says to his mate.
Grandmothers, is that what this is? Goosebumps race up my arms, and I start to tremble with the revelation.
Is Noah my mate? Is that why I’ve been dreaming of him? But that can’t be–he’s also the wolf with no ears. The wolf who will destroy the pack.
Fate wouldn’t put me in that kind of position. Fate wouldn’t pair me with the enemy.
Or would she?
“There’s enough hot water in the tank for one of us to take a shower.” Noah pulls the cast-iron skillet out of the dish rack and drops a chunk of butter into it.
Shower. Fate, yes. That’s what I need right now. And to escape this male’s presence, so I can get myself back together.
“I can make it quick,” I offer.
“Nah, take your time. You need it more than me.”
I cock a hip. “Are you saying that I smell?” Dearest Grandmothers–am I flirting?
His gaze alights on my hand at my waist and that golden sheen rolls over his irises. “Only a little.” He sniffs and scrunches up his nose, pretending he smelled something bad.
We’re flirting. Tingles of excitement fizz all around me. I laugh, and a strange look comes over his face. Something akin to…longing.
“You’re smiling,” he says.
My smile falters.
His own lips quirk although his smile looks a little sad. Wistful, almost. “I haven’t seen you smile before, Seeress.”
I shrug. “I didn’t have anything to smile about.” I turn and go into the bathroom, turning on the water and stepping in as soon as it’s warm.
Fates, the hot water feels good. The shower is surprisingly roomy for a three-room log cabin.
The only soap is a bottle of hand soap from the sink, but it smells like honeysuckle and lemon, and it feels luxurious to use it to wash my hair and whole body.
My wolf is preening. She wants to look good for our sexy captor.
He’s not sexy, he’s holding us hostage, I scold her, even though I had no problem flirting with him in the kitchen.
Nor cuddling up with him in the bed. I slept better than I have in years, maybe ever.
It was like my wolf knew I had a protector who would keep me safe, so I was able to let go and rest.
That would make sense if he were my mate.
He feeds me better than anyone from my own pack, that’s for sure. Even the clothes he gave me to wear were so soft and warm–and smelled like him.
But what if it’s a ruse to break me down? I don’t have experience with being courted by men. I’ve been protected from males my entire life. I need to be cautious. I can’t fall for it. Even if we’re sharing visions…
Oma is screeching at me from the grave, but…I don’t know if her advice is in my best interest.
I don’t know what to think.
I wish I could stay here in the hot water all day, but I remember Noah said there was limited hot water. I really should save some for him. I turn off the shower, feeling better. Feeling clean.
The scent of bacon and eggs filters through the closed bathroom door, and despite my huge meal last night, my stomach rumbles.
He wants to feed me.
I’ll let him, for now. That way I’ll have the strength to make my escape.
Noah
Aster is still in the shower when I finish making us a bacon, cheese, and mushroom omelette. I turn off the stove and cover the food to keep it warm while I review all the messages Brick sent me.
He and Sully have been blowing up my work phone. I can’t avoid them any longer. I need to keep an eye on Aster, but I also need privacy to contact Brick.
I stick my head in the bedroom, and the bathroom door is closed. If I make this quick, I’ll be done before Aster’s finished enjoying all the hot water.
I exit the cabin and pace to the edge of the woods, far enough that she won’t be able to hear me. I scrub a hand over my face to wipe away my thoughts of her. I need to get my game face on for this conversation.
My burner phone acts as a clone of my regular work phone, so I can see all the messages and calls from Moon Co and Brick specifically. Between Brick, Sully, and his assistant, I have over ten messages ranging from texts and missed calls to emails.
This is going to be a hard conversation. He’s going to be pissed. I’m probably going to be fired.
I shoot a text to Brick’s assistant, saying I’m available for a video conference. I get a reply immediately, along with a link to the virtual conference room. My stomach flip-flops for a moment, but I center myself. He can’t hurt us, I tell my wolf, even though I’m feeling disappointed.
I’ve lived below my means to save up most everything I’ve earned, so I can survive without the job until my mission is complete. Still, I worked hard to earn Brick’s approval and trust. I actually like my job. More than that, he’s a good alpha, and I don’t want to hurt him or his pack.
I make sure my back is to the forest, so my background will be pines and newly budding beech trees. If Brick looks closely, he’ll see trees and bushes that might as well be in Kentucky as upstate New York.
I hope.
I click the link, and Brick’s face fills the screen. His eyes are bright amber. Shit, he’s two seconds away from going full wolf.
“Where the fuck are you?” Brick says, speaking slowly and clearly while wagging his finger in the sign Where?
“In Kentucky,” I say. My instincts tell me to turn and show Brick a glimpse of the log cabin. “I had a family emergency. Is everything okay?”
“You know it’s not. I’ve been trying to reach you for the past fifteen hours.”
“Sorry.” I duck my head, playing submissive. “My connection out here isn’t good,” I wave at the woods and rustic-looking cabin, “and I just realized I had my phone off. I told HR I’d be working remotely.”
A shadow falls over Brick’s face, and I bet it’s Sully in the background, listening in on the call. Brick fixes me with an alpha stare. “If you planned on working, why did you leave your work phone in your apartment?”
Shit, this is bad. I bet they shook down my apartment, searching for me. Ready to drag me in front of Brick. Leaving my work phone was a good call because I bet Sully has tech on it that allows him to trace its location.
He probably has tech to trace any call, though, so I need to keep this phone call short. If he and Brick find out I’m in upstate New York, I’m a dead wolf. They’ll think I’m an Adalwulf spy and make an example of me.
“I forwarded all calls and emails to my personal cell but didn’t check them until now. My grandma needed me.”
“That’s the excuse you’re going with?” His expression tells me he’s practically breathing fire. With his bright eyes, he looks like a dragon. “Your grandma was sick?”
I say nothing. I could fool a human boss, but Brick isn’t buying it.
“I sent you footage taken at the Mineral and Gem Museum uptown. Was that your wolf?”
I feign surprise. “No, sir.” I’m lucky I’m not getting grilled in person. If I were, Brick would smell that I’m lying.
Even now his eyes glimmer. He doesn’t believe me. Why would he? I’m acting cagey as hell. “You have until the end of this week to present yourself to me in my office. Understand?”
Today’s Wednesday. He’s giving me three days. Fuck. That’s not enough time. Not with the Adalwulf princess as my captive. I need to interrogate her about the Moonborn’s location and then figure out what to do next.
But I dutifully nod. “Yes, sir.”
I know what he’s doing. When I’m in front of him, in person, he’s going to make me shift in front of him, and once I do, they’ll know I was the wolf in the video at the museum.
Then again, I might be able to resist. I felt his alpha command in the office, and it hit me, but I’m much stronger than I was the last time an alpha used it on me. It seemed to bounce off my chest.
Maybe I could resist. I could tell him I’m a defective wolf who can’t shift, and that’s the real reason I never asked to run with his pack.
But if he does make me shift, I’m truly fucked.
“I’m disappointed in you, Noah,” Brick says.
“I thought you had potential. I gave you an executive position. But you’re hiding something.
I need to decide whether you’re team Moon Co material.
Get your ass back to New York and prove to me you’re a team player.
Otherwise…” He lets the threat hang in the air.
“I understand, sir.” I nod quickly. I have to end this call before Sully traces my position.
Brick’s eyes narrow. “You befriended my mate. She trusts you. If I find out you’re lying to me, to us, then I’ll take that as proof that you’re a threat. And if you’re a threat to me and mine, there’s nowhere on Earth–”
I end the call. I have to. My palms are slick, and my wolf is geared up to fight.
That…did not go well. I don’t know if I’ll be able to explain away my actions at the museum in a way that satisfies Brick. Which means I might not ever be able to go back to New York.
I knew this day would come–I planned on it. The Ivy League degree and Wall Street job were only a means to infiltrate the impenetrable Adalwulfs and get to the Moonborn. Still, disappointment makes my gut clench. I like Madi, and I respect Brick. It sucks to have lost their trust.
Even though I was never officially part of the pack, my wolf loved being around other wolves who were willing to accept me as a friend. I guess I’m less of a lone wolf than I thought.
I’ve lost the only chance at having a shifter community.
But I have bigger things to worry about.
Aster
I hear the front door open and close and quickly towel off.
Did he leave me here alone? This could be my chance.
I pull on my panties, yank the flannel around my shoulders and quickly button it.
I come out of the bedroom and find he’s nowhere to be seen. The cabin is empty. A quick check of the windows shows him outside by the tree line. He has his back to the cabin and seems to be talking on the phone, having a video conference.
I duck so no one can see me. My heart’s pounding fast. Noah left me alone.
I definitely should run.
I don’t take the time to finish dressing or finding my shoes. I don’t know where I am–but he can’t have brought me far from the Adalwulf land. The woods look the same, so we’re probably still in upstate New York or close to it.
If I stay, there’s no telling what he’ll do to me. I’m the Seeress. Aiden and the Warden will have wolves out looking for me.
When they find us, they’ll kill Noah and throw me back in the tower. My wolf whines at the thought, but I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about Noah. I can’t bear the thought of harm coming to him, even if he is my captor.
Noah’s flannel shirt sleeves hang over my hands, and I ball the soft fabric up into a fist. My mouth waters from the scent of breakfast, but it feels like a trap. If I stay, I get to eat and have another conversation with this gentle alpha. But he’s my enemy. I can’t trust him, can I?
My tension grows as I walk to the door. My wolf doesn’t want me to leave.
She likes Noah. The idea that he’s my mate, and my magic drew him to me makes me hesitate for a second…
but no. I have to remember that he’s associated with the Blackthroats.
He was the wolf Oma saw who could destroy the Adalwulfs.
I need to separate myself from him. Besides, I can’t mate.
I am Seeress. I would lose my magic if I let myself succumb to my physical desires with this male.
I would check in with my visions, but they’ll just torture me. The steak Noah fed me gave me the strength to run.
I crack the door open and try to hear who Noah’s talking to.
“I understand, sir,” Noah says, and I realize what the conversation is about. Noah’s checking in with his superior. An alpha growl rumbles from the phone speaker–I can’t hear what the other wolf is saying, but a flash of insight tells me who it is.
Brick Blackthroat. Alpha of the enemy pack.
Noah’s probably confirming my capture and getting orders on what to do next. He didn’t feed and clothe me out of kindness. He has an agenda. And if I don’t give him what he wants, he’ll probably drag me to the Blackthroats, and that’s when the real torture and interrogation will begin.
The wind catches the door, and it swings open with a creak. I jump at the sound, but Noah still has his back to the cabin, and he can’t hear me.
This is my chance. I don’t think, I don’t hesitate. I just run.