Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
There were two things to be thankful for: first, that Alexander had left her in peace to hug the porcelain with her clammy hands and retch up her guts and, second, that the act itself now meant she felt far better.
Mallory splashed her face with cold water, rinsed out her mouth and returned to the now-empty bedroom. In possession of greater control of her faculties than when she’d awoken, she realised that she was obviously in a guest room. Tidy, expensive and anonymous, it didn’t even smell like him.
She found her shoes and socks and pulled them on then curled and uncurled her toes several times but her trick for relaxing didn’t appear to be working. ‘Fake it till you make it, Mal,’ she muttered, then she went to look for Alexander.
Unlike the last time she’d been in the MacTire stronghold, there were people everywhere.
Most of them also looked hungover, although their morning-afters were the result of post-shapeshifting shenanigans rather than whisky.
She tried to recall if Alexander had looked bleary eyed but all she could remember was the fury in his amber gaze.
Hey ho. She did her best to shake off her lingering embarrassment. What was done was done.
Most of the werewolves were too wrapped up in their own recoveries to pay her any attention, but some nodded at her with surprising respect.
Nobody seemed shocked to see her padding around the hallways of the MacTire mansion.
She started to greet everyone she saw, each greeting getting brighter as she moved further away from her hangover and shame, but when she saw the stern, leather-clad woman waiting for her at the foot of the main staircase she blanched.
That was most definitely Samantha, beta of the MacTire pack and the scariest woman alive.
Given the Preternaturals Mallory had got to know in recent years, that was a considerable claim.
Determined not to be intimidated and to retain her sunny sparkle, Mallory pushed away her anxiety and smiled.
Although Samantha didn’t smile in return, at least she didn’t appear angry like Alexander had; if anything, she looked perplexed.
And she certainly didn’t appear to be suffering any ill-effects from the previous night.
She was probably one of those werewolves who, like Alexander, required zero recovery time.
Given that Mallory’s head was still throbbing and the only thing furry about her was her tongue, she felt very jealous.
‘Good morning, Ms Nash,’ the woman said.
‘Good morning.’
‘I’m Samantha.’ The ice-cool werewolf extended an elegant hand and for a moment Mallory wasn’t sure whether to shake it or kiss it.
‘I know who you are,’ she said. ‘Your reputation precedes you.’
Samantha quirked an eyebrow.
‘Not from Alexander,’ Mallory said hastily. ‘You’re well known in your own right.’
If Samantha was pleased or dismayed by that news, she didn’t show it. ‘He asked you to call him Alexander,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘Interesting.’
Was it? ‘He’s pretty friendly for an alpha,’ Mallory responded.
‘Uh-huh.’ Samantha suddenly looked amused. ‘He likes you, you know.’
Mallory wasn’t so sure about that, especially after the way he’d been glaring at her less than an hour ago, but she continued to smile. ‘Most people do, once they get to know me.’
‘I imagine likeability is important in your line of work.’ Samantha’s voice softened. ‘What you’re doing for him is incredibly important to all of us.’
Mallory eyed her dubiously. ‘He’s told you?’
Samantha laughed. ‘Of course. Alex’s choice of First Mate affects us all.’
True. Mallory relaxed slightly. ‘So who do you think would suit him?’ Samantha was his beta; she was bound to have an opinion.
‘A woman who’s not afraid of him would be a good start.’
‘A werewolf?’
‘To be honest, I’d prefer it if he chose someone who wasn’t lupine.’
‘Less competition?’ Mallory asked.
There was a flash of surprise in Samantha’s eyes but thankfully she didn’t take offence.
Quite the opposite. ‘Other packs have had … trouble when their alphas have taken on First Mates who are werewolves and who think they deserve a high rank simply because of who they’re shagging.
Not to mention that Alex doesn’t always know what’s best for him. ’
‘But you do?’
Samantha laughed again. ‘I have no romantic designs on my own alpha, you can trust me on that score.’ She paused.
‘Regardless of my feelings about his choice of partner, he’s been in an extraordinarily good mood since you arranged the date with Cathy West. Even though she’s a wolf, she seems like a good fit. ’
Mallory held up her hand and crossed her fingers. ‘Here’s hoping.’
‘Whoever he chooses, she’d better make him happy.’ There was a glint of furious loyalty in Samantha’s green eyes. ‘He deserves that much.’
Perhaps the MacTire beta wasn’t so scary after all. ‘He certainly does.’
They exchanged smiles. ‘Come on,’ Samantha said. ‘I’ll take you to his office.’
‘Is that because you’re afraid I’ll slink out of here without thanking him if I don’t have an escort?’
‘He was worried about you.’ Samantha hesitated and eyed Mallory with a brief return of her earlier perplexed expression. ‘Really worried.’
Mallory felt her cheeks warm. ‘I had too much to drink, that’s all.’
‘Mmmm.’ Samantha continued to examine her, then eventually she shrugged. ‘It happens to the best of us.’
They walked down the hallway towards Alexander’s study. The door was already ajar. Although Samantha raised her fist to knock, he was clearly aware of their presence and he called out before her hand connected with the wood, ‘Bring her in.’
Mallory grimaced. He still sounded annoyed.
She was expecting Samantha to walk in with her but instead she nudged Mallory inside and closed the door, leaving her alone with the MacTire alpha.
It wasn’t ideal; between scary Samantha and angry Alexander, the former definitely seemed the preferable choice.
There was only so much disapproval Mallory could take.
He was sitting behind his massive desk. She walked to the centre of the room and faced him, took a deep breath and then faltered; either she was in a different room to last time or he’d been doing some decorating.
The curtains had been changed; rather than an oppressive dark brocade, they were now a light-grey velvet which shimmered in the midday sun.
The walls were no longer a murky green; they’d been given a lick of bright paint so they reflected light rather than absorbing it.
At her feet was a fluffy orange rug. There were even four vases of flowers dotted around, their fragrant scent mingling with Alexander’s cinnamon and spice aftershave.
‘Oh.’ Mallory blinked. ‘You’ve redecorated.’
‘I took your advice.’
‘It looks good.’
He inclined his head. ‘I’m glad you approve.’ He gestured to a silver tray on the desk. ‘Coffee? And a bacon roll? It’ll help with your hangover.’
‘You’re amazing.’
‘I know,’ he replied dryly.
She helped herself. ‘I was expecting another scolding.’
He growled, ‘You need another scolding. But as it would be inappropriate for me to put you across my knee and spank you, I thought I’d take a different approach.’ She stared at him in mid-bite. ‘Have a seat, Mallory,’ he went on. ‘It makes me nervous watching you hover by my desk like that.’
She managed a grin. ‘Because I intimidate you?’
‘Because only a few hours ago you collapsed in front of me and I’d rather not repeat the experience.’
She considered his words and decided that a chair wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Mallory sat down, swallowed her mouthful and gave him a long look.
‘First of all, while I appreciate your concern and I’m grateful for your help, I don’t need to be scolded like a child.
I’m an adult and last night I was actually being very sensible. ’
‘Really.’ Alexander’s voice was flat.
‘It’s true!’ She gulped a mouthful of coffee.
‘I don’t have to explain myself to you but, for what it’s worth, I had to go out for work.
I ended up stuck inside a pub on Hirsel Street.
Given the full moon, it wasn’t wise to head home during the darkest hours so I waited until it was almost sunrise. ’
‘Dawn hadn’t broken when I found you.’
‘It wasn’t far off. The likelihood of meeting any werewolves who couldn’t control their basic instincts was practically nil. And,’ she pointed out, ‘I did have wolfsbane with me for emergencies.’
‘Which you couldn’t use,’ he shot back. ‘You were completely legless.’
‘Not completely. I’d have reached home with no problems if I’d not bumped into you.’
‘That’s up for debate.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Who were you drinking with? I know it wasn’t Liam Ferguson because he’d have been furry and on all fours.’
‘Liam Ferguson has nothing to do with this and it’s none of your business who I was with.
I don’t go blabbing about you to other clients and I’m not going to start blabbing about them to you.
’ She sighed. ‘I know that you mean well, but my wellbeing is not your responsibility. I would’ve been fine if you hadn’t started spinning around me like a whirling dervish. ’
‘Hardly a dervish! Besides, it’s in my interests to ensure your safety while you work for me.’
Mallory opened her mouth but he didn’t give her time to speak.
‘I’m an alpha, Mallory. It’s in my nature. Telling me off for wanting to look after you is like telling off a scorpion for stinging.’
‘That analogy is surprisingly apt.’
Alexander pulled a face. ‘And what analogy would suit you?’ He tapped his mouth as if seriously considering the question. ‘Terrible diet, high maintenance…’
‘I’m not high maintenance!’
He ignored her. ‘And you have an absurd propensity to throw yourself into dangerous situations that you can’t handle.’
‘I didn’t throw myself into a dangerous situation!’
Alexander waved a lazy hand around the room. ‘You’re here alone with me, aren’t you?’
Mallory’s mouth was suddenly dry. She swallowed then did her best to recover. ‘Well, there’s a simple solution to that, isn’t there?’
‘Tie you up so you never escape my clutches?’
She met his gaze head on. Screw it: Alexander MacTire was proving far more trouble than he was worth. She wouldn’t break the contract between them – but he could. ‘Declare our contract null and void, then I’ll be out of your hair for good.’
‘I’m certainly not going to do that,’ he said silkily. ‘Especially when we’re finally making headway.’
‘Huh?’
‘My date with Cathy West is in three days’ time,’ he reminded her. ‘But I’ve been thinking about what you said the other night and I believe I need some extra … support.’
Mallory frowned. ‘Support?’
‘I think you were right. I’m intimidated by smart women and I don’t know how to talk to them. I rely too heavily on my looks and my status, and I’m not particularly skilled at first dates.’
She gaped at him. Of all the turns she’d expected this conversation to take, an admission like that from Alexander MacTire was not one of them.
He regarded her seriously. ‘It’s clear that I need extra coaching.’
‘Extra coaching?’
‘Yep. The practice run at the Imbolc event was a good idea but I need more practice. I think we should spend the next couple of days together – high-intensity training.’ His eyes gleamed. ‘Make me Mr Right, Mallory Nash.’
‘I’m going to need stronger coffee before I can even begin to think about this.’
‘I’ll make it worth your while.’ He smiled but there was an edge to his expression that Mallory couldn’t quite decipher. ‘In return for your extra help, I will help you.’
She couldn’t suppress a flicker of suspicion. ‘How?’
‘Self-defence training. You don’t have magic to rely on but you do have a habit of getting yourself into trouble.’
‘No, I don’t!’ she protested. ‘I’m very careful.’
MacTire stood up, moved from behind his desk and stepped towards her.
‘So if I came at you right now? If I grabbed hold of your arm,’ he reached out and gripped her upper arm lightly in his right hand, ‘and pulled you towards me,’ he did just that, pulling her gently out of the chair until her body was pressed against his, ‘and moved my teeth towards your exposed neck…’
Mallory could feel his hot breath against her skin. Her heart rate had ratcheted up and she was brutally aware of the feel of his body against hers. She licked her lips.
She twisted slightly. ‘You seem to forget that I’m holding a cup of coffee,’ she said. ‘If you did that, I’d fling the contents in your face. The coffee is still hot. Would you like me to demonstrate?’
Alexander released her and stepped back. ‘That won’t be necessary.’
She snorted and tried to regulate her breathing. ‘Sure?’
‘Quite sure.’ He adjusted his cuffs. ‘But you won’t always be holding a hot drink.’
She shrugged. ‘I might be a squib, but I’m not a weak damsel in distress. I’ve managed perfectly well for more than thirty years.’
He held up his hands. ‘It’s your choice.
I thought self-defence classes might be something you could benefit from, but I’m certainly not forcing them on you.
It was actually Samantha who suggested them, and they seemed a fair trade-off for more help with my dating technique.
But we can come to another arrangement, if you prefer. ’
As much as Alexander’s approach unbalanced her, self-defence coaching from a werewolf might be a good idea.
Mallory pursed her lips. It would be a distraction from searching for a bellarmine jug; a few days’ break might help her to look at Chester Longchamps’ problem with fresh eyes and she could always instruct Boris to keep searching.
‘No,’ she said aloud. ‘It’s a good idea. I’ll have to make arrangements for my other clients first, but I can come back this afternoon to make a start.’
Something akin to triumph flared in Alexander’s expression. ‘Fabulous,’ he murmured. ‘You can stay in the same guest room until the weekend. It’ll save you time commuting. This is win-win for both of us.’