2. The Princess Treatment
Chapter 2
The Princess Treatment
I peered into the reflective chunk of glass Tiff aimed at me while Mia stood beside her with a seductive grin on her lips. “You’re about to become Mrs. Sloan! Are we good or are we good, M&M?”
M&M was what Tiff nicknamed Mia. From how she explained it, the name had something to do with code words. Incidentally, Mia’s last name also started with M, and it was the entire reason Tiff brazenly named her after a delicious, melt-in-the-mouth treat. Weirdest part about it all was that Mia let her.
After agreeing to go out with the sultry Brit, both girls closed in on me like the wolves they were. Mia I hadn’t expected, so I was ushered to a corner of the cave with the best lighting, as expressed by the bubbly blonde, before I knew what was happening.
A half hour later I was in an outfit I’d never pick for myself, heels as sharp as knives, a thick layer of red matte lipstick, and several intense shades of eyeshadow that, instead of making me look like an evil spirit, made me appear all dark and mysterious.
The obsidian-eyed she-wolf circled me, sliding her intense gaze up and down my body before nodding her approval. “She’s done. ”
Thankfully, a privacy curtain was kept in the deepest part of the cave for people to change in, so that was where I morphed into a demon’s mistress with Mia and Tiff’s help.
Unfortunately, the toilet situation in this doom and gloom cave was something I’d remember for the rest of my life whether or not I wanted to. All I had to say was thank God for modern advancements. I’d never take a toilet for granted ever again.
“I thought you didn’t do makeovers?” I asked, tugging down the mini skirt. There might be enough length that my ass wasn’t on full display, but one wrong move and everything would be laid bare for every unfortunate bystander to see.
Mia’s lips lifted mischievously. “When had I said I didn’t like a good makeover?”
Tiff giggled and stole a glance at the group of men hovering at the front of the cave, ready to go out for their nightly scout. “The whole evening out was Mia’s idea.”
Shocked, I offered the goth seductress a flabbergasted look. “This was all your idea?”
Bending down to fix a spot along my lips, one of Mia’s fingers lingered along my jaw. “Just enjoy yourself. You deserve to take a break.”
Mia proved more complicated and mysterious with every new nugget of information I discovered about her, and I was wholly enslaved. I wanted to know all I could about the she-wolf now that it was clear I hadn’t a fucking clue who she truly was. Mia was an enigma.
Really, there weren’t words that expressed how outright befuddled I was by the turn of events as Tiff pushed me towards the front and into the view of the rest of the group. Aka, the men .
In a pair of slacks and name-brand shirt that exposed his powerful but slim build, Sloan looked like an A-list celebrity. His hair was tossed back in a way that spoke of talented fingers and an attention to detail. Not out of the norm, but tonight was another level entirely for the Brit.
Is he actually glowing right now?
I eyed the treetops, convinced he’d caught a stray beam of moonlight. But sources of light were scarce outside of thin threads peeking through the overhead, none of which aimed his direction.
Theory confirmed—the man was glowing.
Ice-blue depths landed on me first with intrigue, and then with the intention to devour every inch of my body. It did things to my pulse that made me fidget under the intense scrutiny, and my heart failed to beat in any way effective for what I worried would be the rest of the evening.
“You look absolutely breathtaking, love.” In his sensual accent, the compliment landed with the precision of his blades and put me into a full-blown swoon.
What a devil this man is.
It was going to be a long night if I didn’t figure my shit out and get my body to listen. Or if Sloan kept sweeping me off my feet with straight-forward comments like that one.
I don’t stand a chance in hell.
Sloan wasn’t Phillip, so the way he looked at me was different. But it wasn’t any less provocative or lustful. No, if anything, it was a hundred times worse because Sloan didn’t give out his lascivious looks to just anyone.
The subtle smirk the Brit gave me was specially crafted for me and me alone, and I couldn’t deal. Even though it was likely seconds, the way Sloan’s eyes moved over my body felt like hours. And by the end of his inspection, every bit of embarrassed, fascinated interest was sure to show on my face.
So much for Hunter training…
Intense heat reached my face, turning my cheeks cherry-red when Sloan came forward and offered me his hand. His other arm was bent behind his back like this was some Victorian period courting and he was a gentleman calling on a lady. “It’s my honor to accompany you on a night out, milady.”
Holy shit.
I placed my hand on his, not totally loving how easily he got me to comply. “Uh, sure thing.”
“What a joke,” Nigel mumbled. “I don’t get Hunters.”
Topher scoffed beside him, agreeing. “Neither do I.” Topher grunted, all animal, his voice softer than Nigel’s. “Got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
Despite the peanut gallery and their vicious barbs, Sloan barely responded. Instead, the other Hunter took gentle hold of my hand before guiding my arm through the loop of his. “I hope you don’t mind, but I made reservations at a restaurant. I thought we could walk around the nearby town to do a little shopping afterwards.”
After escaping Eros and fleeing to the US, nothing I wore were clothes I owned. Everything was either from Mia or Tiff, and a lot of what I’d sported lately was to their taste. I wasn’t one for shopping, but the idea of picking out something that felt more like me was massively appealing.
It was just another reason to admire how much the other Hunter thought about me, and I spared a moment to get my pulse under control again .
“Shopping?” I asked, jaw a little lax in light of his affectionate demeanor. “Um, sure?”
The Brit’s tender smile hit me the same way his compliments did. “I’d like to buy you a few things, if that’s okay. All to your specifications, of course. But do me this little favor—let this unworthy bloke feel like he’s helped you decide.” Sloan winked at me, and I let loose a giggle that was by far the cutest and most girly of my life.
If this was how Sloan bewitched women, it worked. Holy shit, it worked so well even I was clinging onto every word he said. It was effortless and potent, and nothing like how Phillip played his hand.
I’m doomed.
“He wants to buy her things?!” Tiff murmured to Mia, sighing wistfully. “What a dreamboat. Why can’t I meet me a man like that?”
“It’s ridiculous and fake, is why,” Topher commented offhandedly, bitterness tainting his voice.
I eyed the group, but Sloan didn’t appear to have any issue ignoring them, and he quietly led me out to the path that headed for town.
In our present garb, a moonlight stroll through the woods would’ve been laughable if done with anyone other than Sloan. It was several miles to the nearest house, and nearly forty to the nearest town. Sloan and I looked ready for a rich-person party on a yacht. I would’ve grumbled about it, but I didn’t want to make Sloan feel bad after all the trouble he went through to make it happen.
“V doesn’t like to be pampered like that,” Nigel added, his eyes meeting mine when I looked over my shoulder at him. “She’s not that type of girl.”
What, the girl who doesn’t deserve a guy to wine and dine her?
Despite his claim not being totally off the mark, I glared at my friend .
But it was Claude who sighed and spoke up in place of me, “Wow, you guys are so jealous it’s sad. What, bitter you didn’t get to do it first? Don’t hate the player.”
After two weeks, it was clear Claude liked Sloan. A lot. More than the others. More than Tiff. He eyed Sloan every chance he got, and no one could blame him. He was an oddball, but one I respected.
Auburn hair blew into my face, catching rays of moonlight, just as I turned my head to give the bitter Shifter a piece of my mind.
As if barely bothered, Sloan gently brushed my renegade hair aside and smirked at the group behind us. “If you enjoy yourself, nothing they say here will matter, V. This is your night, and I’m honored you chose me to spend it with. Whatever you want to do, we’ll do. I don’t determine the agenda, you do. So, if a dinner and walk don’t appeal to you—”
“They do!” I nearly yelled and quickly cleared my throat, blushing. “I mean, you already went through all the trouble, and I could really use some new clothes.”
Sloan’s dashing grin reached his glimmering blue eyes. “Then, of course, whatever the lady wants.”
“Holy! What a man, M&M. What. A. Man,” Tiff said, defusing the tension instantly, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I couldn’t figure out where to put my weapons,” I admitted, shifting a dagger on the inner part of my thigh into a more comfortable position. “This outfit doesn’t really give a girl any place to conceal her weaponry. ”
Sloan’s deep, husky laughter tickled my skin from how close we stood next to each other. Presently, we headed towards the car the Brit summoned for the evening. “I won’t deny it crossed my mind when I saw your outfit where you might put a weapon, if any. I’m impressed you managed to conceal a few, and I look forward to discovering how many for myself later.”
What, did Sloan train with Phillip on the weekends or something? Holy hell.
I nearly tripped over a branch, not ready for the other Hunter’s seductive quip. “Hey!”
Sloan’s arm was already around my waist, saving me from a meet-and-greet with the dirt floor. It was a ridiculous situation considering my superior blood and abilities. I’d very likely spend a full three days bemoaning the mishaps and misspoken words from our night out.
“I’m joking, V.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I rasped, barely recovering my composure. “You can’t come at me with one-liners like that, Sloan. It’s cheating.”
The Brit’s lips slanted devilishly, and his long fingers stroked down my thinly covered side before spiriting away. “I’ll endeavor to remember that for the future.”
Phillip was bad, but Sloan was worse. Maybe because the Brit came across as innocent and well-meaning, so his seductive, left-field comments hit harder. Maybe it was because Sloan struck me as someone who didn’t go out of his way to beguile a woman. Or maybe it was how his charming smile instantly disarmed my post-comment rage, making it impossible to stay angry at him.
Even cheeky, Sloan wore it all in an adorable way .
Whatever it was, I wasn’t ready for the level of suave bastard Sloan brought to the table, and it was a constant effort to regain my cool facade around him.
“You may wonder why I hadn’t mentioned Phillip before,” Sloan started, catching me by surprise and immediately changing the tone of our conversation.
I yanked my head his direction, eyes narrowed. “Yeah. I would’ve appreciated you saying something.”
“He asked that I didn’t, but I don’t agree. I think it’s important you understand why he hasn’t returned to your side.”
My heart came into my throat, understanding immediately that what I was about to hear would probably hurt worse than knowing I’d kissed some other guy and left him behind.
“He was injured by Eros’s magic, and it happened because Phillip did everything he could to keep Eros from going after us when we fled.” Called it. “But Phillip’s real reason for not returning is because he’s searching for Cash. Am I right to assume you remember him?”
The Dark Fae bastard who basically told me that I had more than just vampire blood in me? Sure.
“Pretty tough to forget that face,” I remarked with a derisive laugh. “Did Phil mention why he went after him?”
The way Sloan looked at me said it’d been mentioned. And for a few seconds, I worried he wouldn’t tell me. But after a long pause, Sloan finally let loose a breath. “Whatever Cash found in your blood, it’s special and powerful. I’m sure you’re not confused about that, seeing how it’s the reason you and I survived in the first place. I imagine that’s why Phillip decided we needed to know what may be hidden in your blood, and it’s not something we can find out without Cash.”
Made sense. It didn’t explain why he decided to leave me and do it all by himself, though. If we were partners, it should’ve been something we tackled together. But again, I was left feeling like a burden.
The bitterness was sure to show in my expression as I swallowed the question I wanted most to ask and favored one a little less confrontational. “So, how long will that take? Weeks? Months? What about Kris?”
We finally reached the parked car just as I finished my soft-spoken query. With one look at the car, I determined it was fancy and easily worth a hundred thousand.
Lamborghini?
“That’s inconspicuous,” I remarked with a sly grin.
The other Hunter chuckled and offered me a cheeky smile of his own. “Forgive me. I wanted to show off a little. Won’t happen again.”
I waved him away, gently touching the sleek black car with interest. “No. You’re fine. It’s probably the fastest thing I’ll ride in, if I’m honest.”
Sloan’s devious smirk greeted my next glance. “Perhaps not the fastest thing you’ll take a ride on , though…”
Gentleman one minute, scoundrel the next. I couldn’t figure Sloan out, and it caused me equal parts intrigue and frustration.
“I—”
Sloan opened the passenger door before pivoting my direction and quickly interjecting, “Kris will join us on our missions, but I can’t give you a timeline for Phillip. It could be days. It could be weeks. Phillip doesn’t work on anyone else’s timeline.”
Ain’t that the truth .
“Guess that’s fair. So, Kris? What about the pack?”
“They’ll work with us too, if Nigel feels so inclined. We’re going after a pretty volatile vampire and his kin in the area, and the extra number could only help us at this stage.”
It was a nice change of pace to have someone who was reasonable and played well with others. Sloan didn’t go out of his way to argue with Nigel, and the rest of the pack seemed to respect him. Even Topher had warmed to the Brit. The number of differences between Phillip and Sloan piled up over the last several weeks. Despite that, my thoughts always wandered back to Phillip.
I couldn’t help it. I was broken.
Sloan motioned inside the car, and sitting on the front seat was a little silver gift-wrapped box with a cyan-colored bow.
I stalled on my way to get inside, eyeing the little present with confusion. “What’s that?”
The other Hunter retrieved it and gently took my hand. Then with a kind smile, he dropped the small box into my open palm. “It’s late, but happy birthday, V.”
My throat constricted with emotion, and I had trouble forming a response.
Outside of Phil, no one mentioned my birthday since I turned eighteen. I mean, it made sense because it landed in the middle of nothing but shit. Still, the gesture was one I hadn’t expected. It really felt like I was getting the princess treatment tonight.
As if understanding that perfectly, Sloan helped me open the little present and revealed a ring that glimmered with specks of blues, greens, oranges, and pinks inside an oval of milk-white. “An opal,” he explained, helping me fit the gorgeous ring onto my middle finger. “I thought it would look nice on you, pet.”
It was by far the prettiest present anyone had ever given me, and it perfectly matched my skin tone. Sure, it wasn’t something I would’ve chosen for myself, mainly because I didn’t see a point to wearing cute things when they’d only get dirtied by the job, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wanted something girly like it.
Grams would be losing her mind right about now. The thought of my grandmother who wanted nothing more than for me to be a pretty princess who fell in love with a prince brought a smile to my lips.
“This…” I struggled to put a few words together. “I’ve never worn anything like it.”
Sloan brushed red hair from my shoulder and let his fingers tease the skin along my neck before he whispered sweetly into my ear, “And it looks perfect on you, really.” His hand ghosted down my back, never wandering anywhere too forward. “It’s been enchanted, so it won’t leave your finger without your permission. It can’t be lost or taken.”
I flicked my eyes up to meet his, realizing belatedly how close his face was. “It’s really pretty,” I finally managed before Sloan’s mouth covered mine and I wasn’t given a chance to say anything else.