Chapter 6
Caidrik shouldn’t have kissed her.
He knew it the instant his mouth touched hers, knew it even as instinct overrode sense. The room faded to heat and breath and the feel of her body settling against his. He’d spent most of his life acting first and dealing with consequences later, and this felt dangerously familiar.
He knew that even as he did it, even as her mouth softened under his and her hands tightened on his shoulders. The cold was still in him, deep in his bones, snow and wind scraped raw, but she was warm and solid and right there. For a second, that was enough.
For weeks, months really, he’d protected her. Watched over her. Watched her.
Sometimes from across a room. Sometimes from the edges of the pack, staying quiet, staying back. He’d told himself it was duty. He’d told himself it was caution. He hadn’t lied exactly, but it hadn’t been the whole truth, either.
In a crappy world where wolves fought for dominance in dishonorable ways, she was sweet. Kind. A beacon of possibilities with a cute ass and a sassy smile. He’d wanted her from the first day he’d seen her.
Wanted her in ways that had nothing to do with contests or laws. Wanted her laughing. Wanted her safe. Wanted her touching him the way she was right now, soft and sweet, uncertain but not pulling away.
Now she could be his. Should be.
But not like this. Not like some trophy in a contest. He kissed her deeper, tasting huckleberries and sweetness. Figured. She was a treat he’d never tire of, and he wanted all of her. His dick went rock hard, and fire roared through his chest.
He forced himself to slow down before he lost control entirely.
That edge was always there, the part of him that took what he wanted and justified it later.
He wouldn’t let that part touch her. So he broke the kiss, leaning back, his hands gentling on her arms. “I will never force you to mate. Won’t let anybody do that. I give you that vow now.”
She gulped, her lips swollen and her eyes wide. “I agreed to this, Caidrik.”
“Don’t care.” And he didn’t. The old him, the one who hunted and killed, was dead.
This was a new beginning for him, and he wanted to be the good guy.
Sometimes good guys destroyed people when their family, their pack, was threatened.
He could do that. He would. For the right female and the right pack.
The one on his lap represented both. “I’ll kill the other three challengers, but after that, I’m killing only in defense.
” It was a promise he figured he’d better make to her.
To them both. “You need to know that I’ve been a mercenary my entire life.
Never really killed anybody good, though.
” He wanted her to feel safe with him. “But I also won’t lie to you.
We will be mated and we’ll have a good life.
Once you choose me.” And she would. He’d make sure of it.
Her gaze dropped to his lips and then lifted, those dark eyes unfathomable. “You’re very arrogant.”
“It’s good you’re seeing me.” Might as well let all of his flaws show. He’d wandered most of his life, and he wanted a home. A place to belong and protect. “I think you’re beautiful.”
A fascinating peach hue filled her cheeks.
His female was a blusher. He liked that. A lot.
Then his stomach turned.
The tea.
An image slammed into him without warning. Nadia with a delicate teacup in her hands. He’d been seconds, maybe minutes, away from losing her without ever touching her at all. What if she’d taken a sip of the poisoned tea? What if she was the body being held in the snow, waiting for a fiery funeral?
He cut the thought off, took her mouth again, taking them both under.
She kissed him back with a small sound of surrender in the back of her throat.
He tried to end his thoughts, but even as he felt her softness against him, the beast inside him fought to take her.
To end this problem and find new ones…with his mate.
He hated that part of himself. Hated how clean the solution felt.
Kill the threat. Claim what mattered. Move on.
Even more strongly, he truly hated the contest. Hated the rules.
Hated that a pack could dress murder up as tradition and sleep at night.
He’d grown up under rules like that. That type of organization needed to be destroyed.
Nadia didn’t belong anywhere near it.
She was sharp and stubborn and way too willing to carry a weight that wasn’t hers. The idea of her collapsing on the floor like the others made his gut clench. If that had happened, there wouldn’t have been rules left to argue about.
He released her mouth and licked along her jawline.
She moaned and ran her hands over his torso.
He’d never felt anything better. God, he wanted her.
Had for what felt like eons. But before now, he was only a killer without a pack, and he figured she deserved better.
Then Bulwark had made a move, and Nadia had become a damn trophy.
Caidrik couldn’t let anybody else claim her.
Good enough for her or not, he was her future now.
Unable to stop himself, he slid the straps of her camisole down her arms, letting his calloused fingers trail across her clavicle and down the sides of her breasts, kissing her thoroughly.
Completely. Pouring as much of himself into her as he could.
He barely had time to register the sound before instinct took over.
The door burst open, and he jumped up, putting himself between her and danger.
Bussy Bluebird stood in the doorway wearing a long white nightgown, her hair in curlers, with a baseball bat in her gnarled hands.
Nadia yelped and scrambled backward across the bed, ducking under the covers far too late to be effective. She dragged the blankets up to her neck, her fingers fumbling at the straps on her shoulders as heat flooded her face. Had she just flashed Bussy?
Bussy stood in the doorway, staring at both of them. Slowly, deliberately, she lowered the baseball bat. The tip struck the hardwood floor with a sharp thwack that echoed through the room. “What in all that is holy are you two doing?” She planted one hand on her hip and shook her head.
Nadia squinted closer, confusion cutting through embarrassment.
Something was wrong with the woman’s face.
Oh. Cream. Thick white blotches were smeared everywhere, even into her hairline.
It clung to her temples and dotted the edges of her ancient-looking curlers, which made the whole thing somehow worse.
“We weren’t doing anything,” Nadia blurted.
Bussy’s gaze snapped back to her, unimpressed. “You know the rules.” She turned her head toward Caidrik. “So do you. All canoodling needs to happen during the trials. Not outside of them.”
Canoodling? Seriously? Nadia wanted to hide her face in a pillow.
Caidrik’s head jerked toward her. “Wait a minute. What?”
Nadia hauled the covers up almost to her neck and pulled her knees in. “Don’t ask me. I didn’t write the rules.”
Caidrik shifted his attention to Bussy, his posture straightening. “Explain,” he said, the Alpha threading through his voice clear and strong.
Bussy faltered for half a second and then firmed her chin.
Her defiance lost some of its punch when a blob of face cream slid off her jaw and landed on her bare foot.
She ignored it. “There can be intimate contact,” she said.
“It’s encouraged that the prize, also known as Nadia, makes sure she’s physically compatible with all challengers.
That part is absolutely fine.” She lifted the bat slightly for emphasis.
“You can cavort wild and naked to your heart’s delight during a trial.
Outside of the trials is completely unacceptable. ”
Caidrik growled, sounding like the wolf at his core.
Bussy pointed the bat at Caidrik. “Don’t you forget, Caidrik McGregor, that if you’re disqualified at any point, you’re out of here. Forever. And members of our pack can choose to hunt you for sport.”
“Now wait a minute.” Nadia held up a hand. “We were just kissing.”
Bussy snorted. “Ha. I know kissing when I see it, and that wasn’t just kissing. You were heading into disqualification territory, and you both know it.” She shook her head. “I’ve been married almost a century. You think I don’t know what kissing leads to?”
Nadia gulped as embarrassment burned through her. “I don’t understand,” she said. “If I can kiss everybody during a trial—”
“You can’t,” Caidrik cut in bluntly. “No kissing anybody but me.”
Nadia’s head snapped toward him. “You don’t get to decide that.”
Bussy tapped the bat on the floor again. “According to the rules and the grimoire, she has the right to kiss anybody.”
“Fuck the grimoire,” Caidrik said, his gaze never leaving Nadia. “You plan on kissing anybody else, we’ll deal with it right now. Make sure it’s not an issue. I’ll mate you here and now.”
The fire in his eyes was intense enough to make her breath hitch.
It shouldn’t have intrigued her. It did.
He was possessive, yes, but he also made her feel safe, and that mattered more than she liked to admit.
“I’m not planning on sleeping with anybody,” she said. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
Because it wasn’t. Her life was still her own. She was dedicating herself to the pack, yes, and it looked like she’d end up mating the Alpha, but it was still her choice. Mostly.
It sure wasn’t Bussy’s.
Bussy studied Caidrik for a long moment, her sharp eyes moving from his face to his stance, as if she were measuring how much of a threat he really was. Then her gaze softened slightly. “How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Well enough,” he said shortly.
The room still felt charged, the air heavy with cold and heat at the same time. Snowmelt pooled near the window, creeping across the floorboards in thin, uneven rivulets.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“Oh.” Bussy brightened instantly. “I’m one of the two lupine aunts.”
Caidrik’s body didn’t move, but his eyes flicked to Nadia before returning to the woman in the doorway. “Do I even want to know what that is?”
“Of course you do,” Bussy said cheerfully, rocking back on her heels.
One of the curlers shifted, and a streak of cream slid closer to her eyebrow.
“My sister and I are here to ensure this kind of thing doesn’t happen.
” She swept an arm around the room, indicating the bed, the window, the very idea of what she’d walked in on.
“We’re meant to make sure Nadia is left alone for the duration of the trials and that no rules are broken. ”
“So, you’re Solomon’s assistants,” Caidrik said flatly.
Bussy’s lips pursed. “Absolutely not. We’re not anybody’s assistants. We have a title.”
“This is unbelievable.” Nadia wanted nothing more than to crawl deeper under the blankets to hide her face and the rest of her body.
Truth be told, she wasn’t sure she would have stopped Caidrik if Bussy hadn’t burst in.
He’d been seconds away from putting those big hands on her breasts, and she would have been lost. Completely.
And the way he kissed.
Yeah. The Alpha wolf could seriously kiss.
“All right.” Bussy pointed the bat toward the window.
“Out. The way you obviously came in.” She glanced down at the puddle on the floor.
“Wipe that up before you go. We’re not ruining good wooden floors just because you decided to sneak in here.
” She rolled her eyes and looked at Nadia. “I expected better from you.”
“Why me?” Nadia asked, heat creeping back up her neck.
“You know why,” Bussy said. “You were kissing him back just as thoroughly as he was kissing you.”
Well. That was true. Nadia sighed, pulling the covers a little tighter. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Oh yes,” Bussy said brightly. “Tomorrow is exciting. We find out all about the first trials.” She smiled, excitement glittering in her eyes. “Trust me, Nadia. You’re going to need your sleep.”