Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
Mina smoothed her hands down her thigh-length, off-white sweater dress as she stared at her reflection in the standing mirror. Her matching knee-high leg warmers made the outfit both cute and sexy. The material’s light color complemented her dark hair, which she’d taken extra care with to ensure her curls were perfect. Her makeup—black winged eyeliner, mascara, and a matte sepia lip gloss—rounded out the look.
We’re going on a date!
Mina brought her hands to her chest and stamped her feet excitedly, grinning so wide that her cheeks hurt.
She was going on a date with Sevik. A date! They’d finally be out in public as an official couple. It’d been five days since they’d returned to town, five days since Sevik had declared Mina his wife, since they’d performed their private marriage in her living room, and Mina couldn’t wait to show off her mate.
Her husband .
She squealed into her sweater cuffs, muffling the sound.
Okay, so maybe they were doing things backwards, but who cared? As Sevik had said, what they decided to do was between them. It was their choice. She didn’t need a piece of paper to tell her that Sevik was hers.
Turning, Mina grabbed her knitted boots and walked to the door. Her hand paused on the knob as anxiety washed through her.
She hadn’t been on a date in six years, and the few she’d gone on before that had all been horrible.
But this was Sevik. Her mate. He wasn’t some guy from town who knew about Mina and her mother’s past, who expected something from her because of it, who would use it to hurt and demean her if she didn’t give him what he wanted.
And he was on the other side of this door, waiting for her.
Smiling, Mina turned the knob, pulled open the door, and stepped out of her bedroom, making her way down the short hall and into the living room.
Sevik stood before the bookcase that held most of Mina’s photos. He’d studied the pictures often, sometimes looking almost perplexed, other times wistful. Knowing his past, she could guess how he must’ve felt.
He turned toward her, and a slow smile spread across his lips as those white-hot eyes raked over her from head to toe. He was dressed in a black button-down shirt—with the top couple buttons left undone to offer a tantalizing glimpse of his chest—and black jeans. The snug clothing accentuated his tall, athletic frame. His white hair, which would turn black before they stepped outside, was pulled back into a thick, messy bun.
“ Zekt’al , val’syra ,” he growled as he moved in front of her, “maybe we’ll stay here instead.”
Sevik skimmed his fingers up her bare thigh and teasingly traced the hem of her dress before easing it upward. Mina shivered, rocked by a jolt of arousal despite the lightness of his touch.
“Mmm.” He dipped his head, positioning his mouth near her ear, and whispered, “I could just bend you over the sofa and feast on your sweet cunt right now. Could listen to your pretty cries as I thrust my cock into you and fill your belly with my seed.”
Mina’s breath quickened as she rubbed her thighs together, her pussy swelling with the mental image his words created. Liquid heat gathered in her core, and she knew Sevik could smell her want. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.
He raised the hem of her dress higher, over her hips, and palmed her ass. A low chuckle rumbled from him. “Ah, Mina…”
Oops. Did I forget my underwear? How forgetful of me.
With a laugh, Mina danced away from his arms and faced him, tugging her dress back down. “Since you’ve gotten us both quite worked up”—she glanced pointedly at his crotch, where his jeans bulged—“I will hold you to those words when we get back from our date.”
His eyes were dark with lust, and though his smirk remained in place, it was strained. “So determined to make us wait.”
“Mmhmm.” She bent down and tugged her boots on. Once she straightened, she walked toward the door, running her fingers across his chest as she passed him. “And the entire time we’re out, you can think of just how wet my bare pussy is for you.”
Three, two ? —
Sevik growled and snatched her up into his arms. Mina squealed with delight, throwing her arms around his neck.
He grunted and opened the door. “Let’s get this date over with so I can show my mate what happens when she taunts a beast.”
Mina was thoroughly looking forward to it.
She giggled against his neck before nipping it. He hissed.
Riverside Saloon was lively when Mina and Sevik entered. She wasn’t surprised; this was the only bar in town. It was busy most nights it was open. A buzz of conversation overlaid the music from the jukebox, all accented by the clacking of pool balls and the clinking of glasses.
Mina hadn’t come here since Randy moved away. She’d never been much of a drinker, had never cared for the noise, and certainly wasn’t a fan of some of the locals who frequented the place. But Sullford wasn’t exactly overflowing with options for entertainment, and Riverside had pool tables, dart boards, and even a few old pinball machines, making it the obvious—and only—choice.
The lighting was dim but warm, with the usual neon signs on the walls accompanied by strings of colorful Christmas lights and shimmery garland. The wood of the floors, tables, and bar top were polished to a reflective gleam. The décor was just as cluttered and random as Mina remembered—old photos of Sullford and the surrounding area, expired license plates from Alaska and other states, a smattering of bigfoot memorabilia, the heads and racks of deer, elk, and moose, and various tools that must’ve dated back to the town’s founding.
The red Santa hats flopped atop a few of the mounted animal heads were likely a seasonal addition. And of course, the high definition, flatscreen televisions broadcasting several sports games were all brand new.
As Mina hung her coat at the entrance, many patrons turned their eyes toward her and Sevik. Her skin itched under such scrutiny. Maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea?
She dashed that thought aside. No . She was done hiding. She needed to show them that their judgment didn’t matter, that they could no longer affect her happiness. Plus, she wanted to show Sevik off.
Mina slipped her hand into his and looked up at him. “Come on. Let me show you how to play pool.”
She led him toward the only vacant table, slipping through the small crowd of laughing men clustered at the neighboring one. Releasing his hand, she retrieved two cues from the rack against the wall, handing him one.
“I haven’t played in years, so I’m probably rusty,” she said. “Randy and I used to come here on occasion. He taught me how to play.”
Sevik studied the stick, running a hand along its length, before glancing at one of the nearby tables. If he was uncomfortable being in a new place, an alien hiding amongst humans about to try an unfamiliar game, he didn’t show it. He stood tall and confident. Like he belonged here.
When he returned his attention to Mina, he smirked and gestured to their table. “Show me, val’syra .”
Thankfully, the previous players had been courteous enough to rack up the balls. Mina pulled the triangle closer, rearranged the balls so the eight ball was at the center, and moved it back into place.
“Okay, so, the goal is to get the balls in the holes. You do that by hitting the cue ball”—she pointed to the solid white ball left outside the triangle—“into them with the stick. Easy, right?”
Mina removed the triangle and set it aside. “The first person to go breaks, and if they get a ball into a hole, they claim that type, which is either the stripes or solid colors. If they get a ball of each in the hole, they choose which they want to go for. If they miss, the next person goes. To win, you need to get all the balls of your type into the holes, except the black one.”
Sevik cocked a brow. “Why not the black one?”
Mina gave him a serious look. “It’s a bad, bad ball.”
He laughed. “Why’s that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just the rules. If you get it in before you get the rest of your balls in, you lose. But once you have the rest in, you can go after the black one. You have to call it, though.”
“Call it?”
“Yeah. Call which pocket you’re going to hit it into. So, do you want to break?”
Sevik shook his head. “Let me observe you first.”
Oh, she’d give him something to observe all right.
Moving into position, Mina bit down on her bottom lip to suppress a grin as she spread her legs and bent over the table, lining up her cue. She felt the immediate draft on her pussy and knew her dress had ridden up quite a bit.
Before she could take her shot, Sevik’s hands clamped on her hips. His pelvis pressed against her ass as he leaned over her. His voice was gravelly, with a hint of menace in his tone, when he spoke into her ear. “You’re playing a dangerous game, female.”
The knitting of her dress provided no protection from the prick of his claws when he flexed his fingers. “If another male so much as glimpses what belongs to me, I will delight in gouging out his eyes.”
Then he withdrew, leaving her breathless and aflame. His threat of violence shouldn’t have turned her on, but it did. The evidence was in the tightness of her nipples and the needy ache growing between her thighs.
What was wrong with her?
Nothing. It had everything to do with Sevik. The idea that her body was his and his alone, that he’d go to such lengths for her, was arousing as hell.
Mina released a shaky breath, focused on the cue ball, and struck.
The balls scattered, and one with stripes made it into a corner pocket.
She straightened and tugged her skirt down, casting a quick glance around. As arousing as Sevik’s jealousy was, she didn’t really want someone’s eyes gouged out.
“Looks like the stripes are mine!” she declared with a smile.
Sevik’s unwavering stare told Mina that she could have the stripes. She was his.
He walked toward her, taking his place next to the table just as a waitress approached. Mina immediately recognized her.
Angela Maitlin.
They’d gone to high school together, though they’d never interacted back then. Now, Angela often came into Mina’s café for her morning coffee, where she complained about her husband’s laziness around the house, his inability—or unwillingness—to care for their kids, and even her suspicions that he was cheating on her.
Mina knew much, much more about Angela’s marriage and intimate life than she’d ever wanted to, but her heart went out to the woman. Angela deserved better.
“Hi Mina!” Angela said with a grin. “I can’t believe I’m seeing you here.” Her gaze turned to Sevik. “Oh my gosh, you’re Viktor, right?”
Sevik dipped his chin in a shallow nod.
She playfully slapped his shoulder. “You’re such a hottie up close!”
The change to his expression was subtle, all in the way his jaw slowly bulged. Mina tensed as what she could only identify as possessiveness twisted in her belly.
“You have no idea how much people have been wondering about you,” Angela said, shifting her body toward him fully. “No one’s going to believe you came in here tonight. I have at least a thousand questions I could ask, and all my friends are dying to know the answers.”
“Could I get a chocolate White Russian?” Mina interjected before Angela could scratch any of those questions off her lengthy list.
She couldn’t fault the woman’s curiosity—Mina had been curious about Sevik since he’d arrived in Sullford too—but that possessive side of her was baring its fangs at the sight of another woman touching him.
“Oh! Right.” Angela offered Mina a smile and looked back at Sevik. “What about you, hun?”
“Water.”
“You got it. I’ll be right back with those.”
Mina watched her walk away before returning her attention to Sevik. One side of his mouth was slanted up in a smirk.
“I like seeing that fire in your eyes, val’syra .”
She blushed and stood her stick up on the floor. “You’re not the only one who can get jealous.”
“Good.” Tucking his cue in the crook of his arm, he rolled up his sleeves one at a time, revealing those powerful, toned forearms, letting her see the muscles moving under his skin. “Shall we resume our game?”
Mina stared at those arms.
Oh, that is so unfair.
With a huff, Mina turned back to the table, struggling to focus on the game. But her next shot came up short, making it Sevik’s turn. And he must have watched her very, very carefully, because he leaned forward, lined up his cue, and sunk his first ball almost effortlessly.
He straightened and circled the table like a predator sizing up its prey, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes. He took his second shot, sinking a second ball.
“You’ve played this before!” Mina said.
“I haven’t. I just have a talented, beautiful instructor.”
Angela returned with their drinks, setting them on a small round table nearby. “I opened a tab for you two. Just wave me down if you want anything else.”
Thankfully, she hurried off to take care of the men at the neighboring billiards table without further conversation.
Sevik didn’t even look at Angela; he was too busy studying the table with an intensity that only made Mina more excited for later. She picked up her glass and took a drink, savoring the sweet, creamy, chocolatey concoction.
On his next shot, he sank yet another ball—but the cue ball also rolled into a pocket.
“That’s a scratch,” Mina declared.
He glanced at the felt tabletop with a brow arched.
“Not literally,” she said, retrieving the cue ball. “When this goes into a pocket, it’s called a scratch, and it’s a foul.”
“Meaning?”
She grinned at him, set down her glass, and strutted around the table. “Meaning it’s my turn.”
Their game went back and forth, with neither more than a ball or two ahead of the other. Sevik was a fast learner who seemed to have a natural aptitude for the game, forcing Mina to shake off the rust quickly. The playful competitiveness between them was a little thrill all its own, but it was nothing compared to seeing him laughing, smiling, and teasing her without a hint of self-consciousness or hesitance. For Sevik, the rest of the bar might as well not have existed.
Of course, she wasn’t above a little gloating when she clinched victory in their first round. Wicked promise gleamed in his eyes as he racked the balls for a rematch.
After a hard-fought battle, he took the win, but he didn’t rub it in her face. Instead, he moved close, caged her in against the pool table with his arms, and growled against her neck, making her giggle.
She ordered another White Russian as they began their third round. Yet as much fun as Mina was having, she was eager to return home, to feel his hands and mouth on her body. To hold him to his threat of teaching her a lesson. She loved it when the beast came out to play.
Halfway through the match, Mina held out her hand. “Could I have a dollar?”
He looked up from the table, eyes narrowed as though he were trying to determine her ploy. “For what?”
She laughed. “Don’t look at me so suspiciously! I just want to pick a couple songs on the jukebox. They can be my victory songs.”
Sevik chuckled and shook his head, reaching into his pocket. He held out a dollar bill. “You haven’t won yet, Mina.”
She playfully snatched it out of his grasp. “I will though. Just you wait and see.” As she walked away, she called over her shoulder, “No cheating while I’m gone!”
Mina stood in front of the jukebox’s glowing neon lights, hands braced on either side of it, as she skimmed through the playlist. So many of the songs had changed in the years since she’d last come here with Randy. All his favorites were by The Beatles.
God, she missed him.
What would he think of Sevik? Would they be able to tell him who and what Sevik really was, or would it be better if he never knew? Either way, it would be Sevik’s choice. All Mina knew was that she wanted them to meet. Eventually.
A man appeared beside Mina and rested his arm atop the jukebox. He grinned, his eyes dipping along her body before meeting her gaze. “Well, hello beautiful.”
Mina frowned. She’d seen him around town maybe once or twice, but she didn’t know his name.
The stranger was tall and looked to be around her age, though his short, thick beard made him appear a little older. His stocky frame, combined with his height, made Mina feel small and uncomfortable given his closeness. It wasn’t anything like what Sevik made her feel.
And she didn’t like the way he was looking at her. It made her skin crawl.
Ignoring him, she inserted the dollar into the machine. Once it had processed, she picked her first song— Twist And Shout by The Beatles.
For Randy.
“Hey.” The man shifted closer. “I’m talking to you.”
“I’m married,” Mina said as she continued skimming through songs.
“I don’t see a ring.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not married.”
“Now, why do you have to be like that?” he asked, lowering his arm from the jukebox and settling his hand over the song labels in front of her, forcing her to take a step back. “I’m just trying to be nice.”
Forget the other song. She just wanted to get back to Sevik.
Without responding, Mina turned away.
His hand caught her forearm, halting her.
Mina glared at him, giving her arm a tug. In a firm, controlled voice, she said, “Let me go. I’m not interested, so leave me alone.”
Instead of releasing her, he drew her closer. “I was just trying to talk to you. What is it with you women? Why do you have to be such a bitch abo?—”
A large hand clamped on the man’s wrist and twisted his arm, breaking his hold on Mina. She stumbled backward, eyes wide as Sevik slammed the man into the jukebox with a snarl. The song it was playing skipped, and the machine struck the wall with a bang, remaining tipped up on its hind legs as Sevik pinned the man against it.
Glowing white flashed in Sevik’s eyes—a slip of the mask, a glimpse of the real him. And Mina knew what was going to happen. What he was about to do.
She’d wanted the beast uncaged, but not here, not like this.
The bar had fallen silent but for the jukebox now. Mina glanced around quickly; every eye in the place was on Sevik. She felt true fear in that moment. Fear for him.
Not simply for the repercussions of potential murder, but because if his shroud slipped, if they saw the real him, they would…
She didn’t want to think of it. Didn’t have time.
Mina threw herself forward, forcing her way between Sevik and the stranger and wrapping her arms around him tightly just as he was about to swing his fist. “No!”
He halted, entire body tense and stiff, and looked down at her. His lips were peeled back, and his expression was feral, fierce, bloodthirsty. Fortunately, his shroud seemed to have recovered, but his eyes were pools of bottomless, impenetrable black, utterly inhuman despite his disguise.
The stranger spat a curse and shifted behind her. Sevik’s body jolted as he slammed the man back again, causing another skip in the music and drawing a pained grunt from the man.
“Sevik, please.” She caught his face between her hands, forcing his attention to remain on her, as tears flooded her eyes. “Please don’t. He’s… He’s not worth it. Let’s just go, okay? Take me home. Please? I want to go home.”
Please don’t kill him.