Chapter 1 #3
A playful smile danced on his lips as he slowly rose to greet her. “Zera, I presume?” He extended a hand to help her into the booth.
She didn’t even give it a second glance as she plopped down into her seat. “Yes, but don’t get too excited. I’m only here to enjoy my food and get out of here.”
His eyes widened in shock as he settled in across from her. “Um… what?”
“Look, I’m going to be straight with you.” She fixed him with a determined look, refusing to let herself fall under his spell. “I’m not interested in whatever game you’re playing. I’m here for the food and wine and that’s it. If that’s not what you’re looking for, we might as well end things here.”
His lips quirked in amusement, his stormy gray eyes never leaving hers. “I can respect that. Although if you weren’t interested in a date, then why’d you accept my invitation on FaeMatch?”
“I only recently found out that I even had a profile on there.” She sighed. “My sister. She’s a little… desperate to see me in another relationship, which is the last thing I need right now.”
He laughed, a low rumble that sent shivers down her spine. “Well, that’s a relief to hear.”
Her eyebrows shot up. It was her turn to be surprised. “So you’re on FaeMatch to find what? A hookup?”
She suddenly felt like she wasn’t the only one in control of the conversation. His demeanor had changed, and he now had a look of amusement on his face, as if he knew something she didn’t.
“No, not really,” he said, leaning back in his seat. “I’m not looking for anything serious, and I assure you this date is not a hookup.”
What in the bloody fae did that mean? She eyed him suspiciously, not sure what he could be up to.
Before she could press him for an explanation, the waiter materialized beside them, seemingly from thin air, causing a sudden rush of wind. Zera jumped in her seat. She would never get used to vamp speed.
“Monsieur Harris, it is lovely to see you again. Will it be the usual, or would you like to see a menu?” The waiter fixed a bored gaze pointedly at Zera, and she felt a pang of annoyance.
Just because she wasn’t a regular customer didn’t mean she wasn’t worth the same level of respect.
“The usual for me but a menu for—” Maverick began, but she cut him off, not wanting him to assume he had control.
“I’m sure ‘the usual’ is fine,” Zera said quickly. The waiter’s impatience was like a cold draft, and she didn’t want him sticking around longer than he needed to.
“Are you positive?” he pressed, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
Zera nodded firmly. “Absolutely.”
Maverick gave her a curious look but nodded to the waiter. “We’ll have the usual, then. And a bottle of the Chateaux de la Nuit.”
As soon as the waiter left, she turned back to Maverick, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t assume you can make decisions for me.”
Maverick chuckled, flashing her a wicked smile revealing totally normal, very non-vampire teeth. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Zera felt a surge of something unfamiliar and exciting. She wasn’t used to a man who could keep up with her, let alone challenge her. But there was something about Maverick that made her want to push back as hard as he did.
“Tell me this,” she said, trying to ignore the electricity that sparked between them. “Why would a fae who’s not a vamp use this restaurant as their dating spot?”
A mischievous spark of golden lightning glimmered across his steely gray irises, as if he was enjoying the challenge of her question. “Firstly, how do you know I’m not a vampire? And, secondly, why do you presume I take all my dates here?”
“Well, for starters, your teeth lack the clacking sound that vampire teeth make when they talk,” Zera pointed out, a hint of pride in her tone at her attention to detail.
“And as for the second part, you seem pretty chummy with the snobby waiter who looked at me like I was this week’s trash, so let’s cut the crap and be honest.”
“Ah, the irresistible charms of Luc,” Maverick said with a smirk. “Well, for the sake of being honest, you’re right. I’m not a vampire. I’m a werewolf.”
It took all of Zera’s self-control not to make a sour face. She almost wished he were a bloodsucking vampire. Werewolves were much worse, and she loathed the entire species.
They pretended to be loyal until their alpha called rank, then anyone else who wasn’t part of the pack fell to the wayside. The priorities of the pack would always come first, even before blood. It was why she and Cole were left behind.
Fortunately, pack law didn’t apply to half-breeds, so at least she would always have her son.
“I’m guessing you’re not a fan of wolves?” Maverick raised an eyebrow, his gaze penetrating her own.
Zera felt a strange mix of vulnerability and defiance, not used to someone other than her sister being so direct with her. She shrugged, trying to hide her discomfort.
“I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences with wolves,” she said with a guarded tone. “I don’t trust them.”
“Was this experience with an ex of yours?” he asked smugly.
“How—” she growled but stopped. Jade and that stupid FaeMatch profile. She must’ve mentioned it.
“Don’t worry, I won’t pry. Let’s just say that makes two of us—on the wolf front, not the ex,” he replied with a wry smile, as if they were sharing a secret.
“I’ve had more betrayal from my own kind than you’ll ever know.
But some wolves are better than others. And I’m definitely one of the good ones. ”
“I’m sure you think you are,” Zera replied, unconvinced. She’d heard similar lines before. They’d worked on her in her naive youth, but she knew better now.
Maverick chuckled and looked as if he wanted to say something, probably to change her mind, but the snub-nosed waiter returned with the wine and food, pouring the red liquid into both glasses before setting the bottle on the table and leaving as quickly as he’d arrived.
“Cheers,” Maverick said with a wink.
Zera raised her glass in response and took a small sip. She sighed with relief when it was just wine, the rich, full-bodied liquid warming her insides.
“You still haven’t answered the second part of my question,” she said, setting her glass aside and picking up her fork and knife to dig into her meal. “About the other girls you’ve been bringing here.”
She took a bite but froze when something raw and cold hit her tongue. She scrunched her nose and looked down at her plate. Horror swept over her as she stared at the red blob of meat in the center of her plate surrounded by toast points.
“So, I take it that steak tartare is the exception to your no-red-meat rule from your profile?”
Her eyes widened, and she quickly put her fork down.
“You knew your usual was red meat and you made me order it?”
“To be fair, I did ask if you were sure, and I didn’t make you do anything. You insisted.” Maverick smirked, obviously having anticipated her reaction.
“And had I known what the ‘usual’ actually was, I would never have ordered it.”
“Perhaps next time you’ll accept my suggestion of looking at the menu?” He sipped his wine to hide a laugh.
Zera bristled. “There won’t be a next time. Besides, won’t you be on to the next after this? Presumably taking them here for another speed date?”
Maverick studied her for a moment. Zera tried to ignore the heat that rose in her cheeks under his scrutiny.
She knew she shouldn’t let herself be affected by his charm, but she couldn’t help it. He was a masterpiece in a tailored suit, making her wonder what he would look like without it, and he got under her skin in a way that no one else had before.
“You want the truth?” he asked, still watching her.
“And nothing but.”
His gaze intensified, and he drew closer to her. Zera could feel the heat emanating from his body, and her heart began to race.
“This isn’t a date.”
Zera raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Excuse me? Then what is it?”
Maverick leaned back in his chair again, stuffing a huge scoop of the steak tartare into his mouth. He took his time to chew, which nearly drove her insane, before he finally swallowed. “It’s business, Zera.”
Her mouth fell open, but there were no words for the shock she was feeling. Business? What kind of business sought women out on FaeMatch?
Several shady things came to mind, and all of them made her sick to her stomach.
“How dare you solicit—”
“Please keep your voice down,” he said, and she ground her teeth. The nerve of this scumbag. “And before you go and accuse me of something I’m not doing, let me tell you that we’re both in grave danger.”
“The only one of us who’s in danger here, Maverick, is you. Not me,” Zera countered, gathering her things before she scooted her way out of the booth. It really wasn’t a graceful look, but she didn’t care. She needed to get the hell out of there.
But before she could stand, Maverick was there, towering over her and blocking her way out. “I can’t let you leave.”
“Wha—” She stopped when his eyes suddenly flicked to the right in a gesture to get her to look at something over his shoulder.
Her eyes fell on a man with a razor-sharp nose, bald head, elven ears, and eyes as clear as glass who walked up the staircase like he owned the place.
A posse of men dressed in black suits tailed him, fanning out once they reached the landing.
They all had the same cold and calculated look in their eyes, and Zera’s heart raced even faster.
“Who’s that?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
“There’s no time to explain.”
She scowled up at him. “Make time.”
Maverick sighed, muttering something under his breath as he raked a hand through his hair. “Screw it. Scoot over.”
Without waiting for an answer, Maverick pushed his way into the seat next to her, his firm body pressed up against hers.
Zera tensed as he leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “The truth is… I’m a spy, my cover’s about to be blown, and for the sake of both our lives, I need you to pretend to be my wife.”
The whole room went ice-cold as Zera processed his words. Her thoughts raced, a torrent of emotions threatening to overwhelm her—fear, doubt, betrayal, everything she swore she wouldn’t let herself feel again. Especially not from a man.
Fear wrapped its iron grip around her sternum, and her breaths came out in short gasps as she realized this was how it would end.
Her heart clenched as Cole’s face filled her thoughts and nearly brought her to tears. She was going to die, and she would never see her baby again.