Chapter 6 #2
Unfurling my fingers, I take a delicate sidestep. “If I didn’t say it before, well, thank you.”
His voice bottoms out. “He died like a coward, blood clogging his lungs. Begging for me to end it. But I’m not inclined to grant a clean death to scum who prey on women.”
I inhale deeply, recalling those sickening screams. Time. He was buying me time to slip away—and issuing a warning to all others who dared to intervene.
Out of thin air, a mighty gust ripples behind us, nudging me right into those strapping arms. Axe drops his pack by the tire. Maintaining our gaze, his hand splays along my spine. With him so near, I don’t need the blanket anymore; his body heat more than suffices. It's almost dizzying.
A half-smile plays on his lips as he chuckles. “How’s the view from down there?”
I raise my chin. “I’ll have you know that I'm the perfect height for kicking shins. And it may not have looked like it back in Shanoah, but my bite is just as vicious as yours.”
The ring of blue around his eyes becomes a flickering cobalt, registering the challenge. “Oh, I saw the ear job. Nicely done.”
My stomach rushes with nausea. I can still recall the copper tang of the brute’s blood on my tongue.
He cranes downwards, hovering at the intersection of my neck and shoulder. “What else are you capable of?”
The tip of his nose traces the upward curve of my neck ever so gently.
He inhales slow and deep, releasing a guttural growl on the down breath.
The sound startles me into jerking back—only to discover that the thick arm around my waist has locked me in.
That’s when it comes to me, the warning Maurleen gave so many months ago.
Lycans are not creatures of restraint. When they first encounter their mate, the male blocks out everything but her scent, an elixir from the goddess herself.
Even before they meet face to face, this overtakes him immediately, as does the desperation to get her alone.
To breathe her in fully, to taste her. It's why sometimes, the claiming occurs before he even learns her name.
“Axe,” I start, squirming against him. “I-I’m not—”
A side door facing the garage swings open. Someone calls his name.
Swearing under his breath, Axe releases me. In a blink, the look of lust is replaced with jarring apathy. “Has her room been prepared?” he asks.
The male nods. His hair is raven-black like mine, paired with light brown skin, a perfectly groomed beard, and chocolate eyes so deep they are fathomless.
"Excellent," Axe says, then turns to me. "Vessa, this is Jabir, one of my Betas.”
Jabir approaches with a grin and an outstretched hand. As I accept it, I am graced by the marvel of his smile—full lips and playful dimples framing teeth so sparkly I would easily believe that he was a prince in his home country.
"Welcome to Lupine Manor," he says. "It's been a long journey, I take it."
I fold the blanket over my arms and take my first steps inside. "You have no idea."
Together, we stroll down a long corridor until we reach the opening of the foyer, where a chandelier of golden lights and antlers illuminates a magnificent two-story dual staircase that leads to a mezzanine.
To my right is a grand foyer entry, much larger than it appears from the outside.
My eyes trail up to the ceiling, counting three separate levels centered by massive, dark cedar vaults.
A collection of big game trophies is displayed along the enormous left wall: elk, deer, and moose.
The opposite is framed with dozens of photographs in black and white—men and women on fishing and hunting expeditions, mountain landscapes, and various poses with indigenous people.
Peeking my head around the corner, I see a gathering space marked by lavish sofas and in the next room over, a formal dining room full of glowing candles, centered around a table large enough to accommodate a dozen guests.
While it is silent now in the dead of night, I imagine that during most hours of the day, this main level is busier than the backstage of a production at the Montrose National Theater.
"Do you like it?" Jabir asks.
"Yes," I breathe. "I don't even know where I should look."
Jabir leads me around the massive staircase, through the sprawling living room that is framed by floor-to-ceiling transparent windows and a fireplace fit for a king.
He motions for me to sit on the sofa closest to the fire.
Then he disappears for a moment, allowing me to gaze outside and listen the icy rain begin to pelt against the expansive glass.
The bleak twilight stretches out into the distance, making it difficult to perceive the other buildings Axe spoke of when I first arrived.
Winters of the northwest are unlike anywhere else, delineated by the prolonged darkness.
Not a minute later, Jabir returns with a glass of water and a stunning pregnant woman with bobbed ash brown hair on his arm. She studies me, teary eyed. "He really did it.”
I rise from my spot on the sofa to greet her. Gods, she must be six feet tall herself.
Jabir clears his throat. "This is my mate, and the Alpha's oldest friend. Vessa, meet Nell."
Nell elbows him in the side. "And?”
“And . . . extraordinary designer, chef, mother of my future children . . . shall I continue?”
She pinches the bridge of her nose. “I’m the other Beta.”
"Nice to meet you,” I say.
Nell turns her attention back to me, engulfing me in a firm embrace. She then pulls away, dabbing her eyes as she leans against Jabir. Resting a hand on her belly, she adds, "Forgive me. I’m a bit emotional these days. It’s just that we have been waiting a very long time for this."
Heavy footsteps approach, announcing a familiar presence. "If I knew this would turn you into a blubbering mess, I would arrange for my mate to stay somewhere else," Axe teases.
Mate . . . he called me his mate. The thought brings a gleaming heat to my cheeks, already warmed by the delicious fire.
Nell scowls at the Alpha. "You will do no such thing."
Axe gives me a side glance. "I should warn you, the two of them in a room together can get pretty nauseating.”
Jabir snickers when his mate brings her hands to her hips, her frown lines deepening.
"It doesn't concern you," I implore to the pair, "that you’re sheltering a human?"
Nell’s misty eyes lighten. "Who you are, wherever you came from . . . it doesn't matter. You’re home now."
Axe’s second in command shows me to the guest wing of the second floor.
Crossing the threshold, my eyes scan the room.
Scented candles are burning on the desk and in the adjacent bathroom, a lovely concoction of tea tree oil and sage.
A hefty brown quilt is sprawled out on the bed, complete with leather and fur accent pillows.
Nell motions me into the bathroom and instructs me on how to adjust the shower head and faucet, letting the cool water pour out in a jet stream.
Out here in the mountains, the water takes a few minutes to acclimate.
"Would you like me to help you undress?" she asks. "I can take your dirty clothes down for you and see if that suit can be salvaged."
Though I am inclined to turn her away, after hours of running through the woods, I’m so tired now that I can barely stand. Too dizzy to be shy. Nell sees that. She means well.
I unzip and shrug off the garment, allowing her to peel off the sleeves and tug down until it snags on my hips.
“Silverfire.” She scrunches her nose. “That lavender is potent. And so is that gods-awful—oh.”
“What?”
“Let’s just say Axe will be much happier once the other male’s stench washes off.”
Shivering from the exposure, I feel the female study my bare skin.
Gripping both sides of the fabric, she kneels and gently begins to shimmy the material down below my crotch.
Gooseflesh spreads along my thighs. Startled, Nell straightens.
Narrowed eyes pan to my neck, her highly acute nose dissecting the layers of scent that cling to it.
In the mirror, I gasp at the marks left from the attacker who ambushed me. Budding bruises.
One of her well-manicured brows kicks up as she scoffs. "I'm not going to ask, but I'll just assume the bastard paid horribly for that. If I find out he didn't, I'll crush his throat myself."
I cross my arms in front of me to conceal the rings forming along my shoulders. The attempt to conceal them pushes my cleavage higher. Nell’s attention shifts then, eyes falling to my breasts.
“Axe will like those," she teases, handing me a plush robe. "Ours never get that big. Even when we're knocked up." She cups the mounds on her chest and stares back into the mirror. Two girls picking at their appearance, not unlike any ordinary women’s bathroom back at school.
Fastening the tie around my waist, I chuckle at her candidness. Just in time for Axe to knock and step through the doorway. “All good here?”
Nell flicks on the lamp at my bedside, muttering something about going to fetch me some tea. I decline politely and she dips her head, seeing herself out with my suit and undergarments in tow. Beside the doorframe, a blanket and pillow have been laid out on the wood floor.
“You’re sleeping out there?”
On a shallow breath, he backs away from the threshold, smacking his head against the top of the doorway. It must be aggravating, constantly reminding himself to duck. A problem that most males never encounter. “Be sure and keep your door locked,” he grunts.
As if I'd take any chances . . .
“Right. Well, in that case, goodnight.”
Promptly flicking the lock in place, I release a sigh that I’ve been repressing for hours.
First thing tomorrow, I’ll rinse off. For now, I drag myself into bed.
Leaning back against the pillows, I exhale once more into the throbbing silence, wracking my brain for a plan.
If Axe is half as intense as I suspect he is, I’m going to need one to pass the probing attempts that are in my foreseeable future.
I’ll need to disguise my nerves and be mindful of my physical tells, maintaining a steady heartbeat.
I’ll need to harness the skill that actors are best known for. Lying.
My train of thought is disturbed by the sound of crunching snow outside, just below my window. Peering out into the dimly lit pack grounds, I spy a set of footprints leading to the floor right under my bedroom.
Someone else has just learned of Axe’s new guest.