Chapter 13 Adri
The second the doors of the car shut behind them, Rafe was all up in Adri’s space, dragging his sexy salt-and-pepper beard over his neck to scent-mark him.
With his jaguar still riding his instincts hard and the adrenaline of the attack still racing through his system, Adri found himself tilting his head to give the doc better access, sparking a low, rumbling sound of approval from Rafe.
“I’m not submitting. Cats don’t do that,” Adri complained, moaning as Rafe nuzzled into his skin and caught his skin between sharp teeth.
Before they could get too distracted, Adri pulled away and tapped Rafe’s pocket. “Did you find my little present for you?”
Rafe’s brow raised in question, and Adri reached into his sweats, pulling out the neural chip he’d found when he was scouting the building and carefully carried back in his jaguar’s mouth.
“When did you put this there?” Rafe asked, inspecting the chip.
“Before I shifted back, when I head-butted you. I didn’t want Kyan to see. I hope I didn’t damage it with my teeth.”
“It’s intact. You did good, kitten. Really good.”
Rafe’s phone buzzed with an incoming message before Adri could respond to the praise with either violence or affection. The warmth his words had sparked was an uncomfortable sensation he chose to ignore.
As close as they were sitting, Adri could read the text over his shoulder, his jaguar purring inside him as his eyes traced over Rafe’s strong, veined hands as he held the phone.
Alpha:
I know you want to get your kitten back to your apartment but I need you both back home to regroup.
Adri huffed under his breath. “The pack lands aren’t my home.”
Rafe didn’t glance up as he typed out a quick reply. “You’re my mate. I’m your home, and the pack lands are my wolf’s territory. That makes it your home.”
“Rafe,” Adri whined, exasperated by the way his doc refused to let him pretend this thing between them was anything other than what it was.
Rafe tipped his chin up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips that had Adri’s eyes slipping half-closed. “Don’t think too hard about it, kitten.”
Adri huffed again and used the excuse of putting his seatbelt on to break the too-deep moment between them.
Rafe didn’t push again as they drove toward the Lunetti Pack lands.
He just reached out and placed one of his big hands on Adri’s thigh as he drove, squeezing gently.
Adri stared out the window at the streetscape blurring by and pretended he hadn’t noticed.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Rafe’s mouth stretched in a soft smile as he manoeuvred them through the city one-handed. Why was that so hot?
The SUV’s headlights were the only illumination as they drove down the long driveway toward the pack house in the depths of the night. The crunch of tyres on gravel, the thrum of the engine, and the soft sounds of owls in the distance the only noises breaking the silence.
Adri’s jaguar pouted inside him when Rafe finally took his hand off his leg as he slid the SUV into one of the underground car parks.
Rolling his eyes at his own ridiculousness, Adri unlatched his seatbelt, only to have the door opened for him before he could reach the handle.
It was hard to be annoyed when his usually serious doc flashed him a wicked grin as he stood there waiting for Adri to exit, knowing full well that Adri didn’t want to be coddled that way.
“You’re insufferable,” Adri said, resisting the urge to press himself to Rafe’s body as he got out.
“You seemed to enjoy my brand of suffering just fine when we were in bed,” Rafe shot back.
The internal access up into Marco’s private house that he shared with his closest family led them through a back corridor filled with a scent that had Adri’s mouth watering.
He’d never been in this part of the mansion before, and Rafe directed him toward the smell until they found the rest of Marco’s family who’d been out with them gathered around a large island in the kitchen.
Teasing and laughter shot back and forth as they served themselves from a selection of baked pies so fresh that someone must’ve been busy baking while they were facing down the coven.
Adri let himself be manoeuvred onto one of the barstools and sat watching in careful silence as Rafe fetched them a slice of something that smelled of cherries and apples.
“How did you know that’s my favourite?” Adri asked, keeping his voice soft.
“I know everything about you, kitten.”
“Aww… am I going to have to give up the title of chief stalker?” Rocco asked from nearby. The air witch looked pale, with dark circles like bruises beneath his eyes. He’d expended a great deal of power for the pack.
“Sit down before you fall down,” Rafe said, eyes scanning him in concern as he left Adri’s side to manhandle Rocco onto a cushioned window seat where he could recline if he needed to.
“Hey! How would you feel if I touched Adri like that?” Emilio complained.
“Just fine if you were making sure he didn’t hurt himself,” Rafe shot back.
“Shall we test that theory out?” Silas asked, stepping closer to Adri and sparking a full-on growl from Rafe that had everyone cracking up.
Adri felt heat rise in his cheeks, but kept his thoughts to himself. The last thing he wanted to do was encourage the Lunettis to double down on their teasing.
“Where’s Marco?” Rafe asked Silas, returning to Adri’s side and scooping up a bite of pie from his untouched plate before holding it up to Adri’s mouth.
“I can feed myself,” Adri muttered.
“Indulge me,” Rafe whispered in his ear, sparking a full-body shiver in response.
Flashing him a glare, Adri reluctantly opened his mouth and let the doc feed him.
“He’s sorting out the agreement he made with Leah to keep the Council off our backs. He’ll be back shortly,” Silas said.
That was interesting. What had Marco offered the vampire to withhold information from her employer like that?
When Marco emerged with both Leah and Viviana in tow twenty minutes later, Adri had a suspicion what it might be.
And that, in combination with the specific request that Adri join them at this meeting, gave him a sinking feeling in his gut.
Sensing the sudden tension in him, Rafe leaned in close to rest his chin on Adri’s shoulder and wrap his arms around him from behind.
“Just hear him out,” Rafe whispered, so quiet even the nearby shifters wouldn’t have been able to catch his words.
Silence fell as everyone turned their attention to their Alpha and the two women.
Viviana had her arm draped around Leah’s shoulders.
The vampire was leaning into her side, her expression wary as she took in how many shifters were looking her way.
Adri had seen Viviana’s hook-ups come and go over the years, and he immediately knew this was something else from the level of intensity between them.
Was that what people saw when they looked at him and Rafe? Fuck.
“Kyan’s already tried to retaliate against Leah for shutting them down tonight,” Marco said.
“He’s not going to let this slide regardless of her position with the Council, and Leah can’t go to her boss without admitting the conflict of interest from her relationship with Viviana.
I’ve offered the pack’s protection, but they can’t stay in the city.
Viviana’s going to take her to her family out of state. ”
“Kyan will follow them,” Vin pointed out from where he was nestled in close to Angelo. What was with all these mated pairs?
“Already taken care of. I won’t let him touch her.
We’re going to fake Leah’s death and disappear off the grid.
He’ll suspect something’s up, but he’s never seen us together.
He shouldn’t come looking for her at my family’s ranch, and if he sends anyone after us, they won’t live long,” Viviana said, her determined gaze meeting Adri’s as she spoke.
“What about the gym? Our people?” he asked.
“I need you to look after them for me.”
Adri’s vision narrowed as he fought to control his breathing.
The last thing he wanted was to leave the fighters he protected with his life to some stranger to manage, but taking on responsibility for the fighting ring was a level of responsibility he didn’t even want to contemplate the implications of.
Marco didn’t let him hide from it, though.
“If you do this, you need to admit that you’re pack. I can’t have someone managing my interests who can’t acknowledge he owes allegiance to me,” Marco said.
Adri glared at him. “You know I don’t see it that way.”
Marco held his gaze, his dominance cloying the air between them as Alpha power glittered in his eyes. “This is the only way I’ll put you in the position. If you can’t handle that, someone else will have control of their lives, and deep down, you’ll still know that I’m your Alpha.”
Adri’s fangs lengthened and his fingertips tingled as his claws threatened to break free. Only Rafe’s solid presence at his back kept him from doing something the Alpha would take as a threat.
“That’s coercion,” he growled.
“That’s pack,” Marco corrected. “I’m responsible for keeping my people safe. Part of that is making sure my leadership is seen as untouchable, and the pack’s loyalty unquestioned. Otherwise, we’ll end up with another traitor—or worse.”
“Easy, kitten. Take a breath. He’s not saying anything you didn’t already know,” Rafe murmured.
Adri tried to tug out of Rafe’s arms, but the movement was half-hearted at best, and the doc just held him tighter. Annoyingly, the extra pressure and his mate’s scent reduced the panicked sense of being backed into a corner that had his jaguar lashing out inside him.
“There’s no one else I’d trust with them, Carter. Suck it up,” Viviana said, her voice firm and her words reminding him of a hundred other times he’d heard that refrain from her mouth as she helped train the fighters over the years.