by S. Young
Caia shook her head, astounded by all the new information. Ryder grinned.
“You want to hear some of my personal stories?”
Caia nodded enthusiastically and leaned back to enjoy Ryder’s colorful storytelling. They were interrupted a few times as customers came in, but for most of the morning, he held her enthralled. He told her about a group of vampyre hunters he’d lived with for a few weeks, how—although many vampyres were able to sustain themselves on blood bought from butchers and slaughterhouses—these hunters preyed on animals to hone their skills for hunting the rogue vampyres that killed humans for pleasure.
“So,” Caia said, searching for clarification, “it’s against the law to hunt a supernatural that isn’t of your race?”
“Completely.” Ryder was suddenly deadly serious. “If I were caught hunting a rogue vampyre, I could be pulled up before the Council. It’s a huge breach of coven laws.”
“Vampyres …” Caia went on. “What are they like? I mean, we don’t die by silver bullets so what’s the true story behind them? Do they sleep in coffins?”
Ryder smiled at her innocence. “No. They walk in daylight, they’re not afraid of crosses or holy water—”
“I didn’t think they were, considering they’re pre-Christian.”
“Smart-ass.” He teased. “Basically, they look like humans, just like us, except they move faster, they’re stronger, and they live on blood. To kill them, you’ve got to cut off their heads.”
“What about the heart?”
“Well, unlike the myths, vampyre hearts actually do beat, but they’re encased in thick bone, so … you really have to cut off the head to end the bloodsuckers.”
“Wow. Their hearts beat. I feel like I’ve been lied to my whole life.”
Ryder chuckled. “Yeah, well, I love the movies, but they certainly have a hell of a lot of misinformation to answer for.”
She smiled, but then promptly frowned. “What’s up with the bone encasement around the heart?”
“Don’t ask me, ask Hades.” Ryder shrugged. “Oh, and they have this thing for coins.”
Caia screwed up her face in confusion, reeling from these newfound facts. “Coins?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “Think about it. The only reason they’re here at all is because Hades sent them back after they crossed without coin into the Underworld.”
“So, big coin collectors, huh?”
“Huge. Don’t try to touch any of them either. They do not like that.”
Caia tried not to laugh and failed. “We belong to a world that is just …”
“Just what?”
“Amazing. And I know nothing about it.”
His expression was sympathetic. “You’re getting there. You want to hear about this faerie I met in Italy? She was the first faerie I’d ever met, and boy, did I learn my lesson …”
Ryder amused her as he regailed her with a story about this gorgeous woman who had stolen from him not once, not twice, but three times when he was on a job in the southern climes of Italy. She had disguised herself as three different people—all women he couldn’t resist, apparently. He said it was a big turning point for his hunting career. Now he learned to trust no one outside the pack until he was certain of them.
“And I especially don’t like faeries,” he finished.
“I thought some faeries worked for the good guys?”
“Of course.” Ryder leaned back lazily as he looked at his watch. Caia could hear his stomach growling. “The Daylight Coven employs them, just as the Midnight Coven does. Marion has her very own personal faerie … now she is annoying.”
Caia liked the sound of Marion. “Will I get to meet her—Marion, I mean?”
“Sure. Probably pretty soon, actually—”
“Ryder.” Lucien appeared at the doorway to the workshop. The pack leader’s expression was stony. “I need your help back here with something.”
Ryder stood slowly, rubbing his nape in a sheepish way that suggested he’d been caught doing something wrong. Caia’s eyebrow quirked in curiosity as he strolled after his friend. Lucien shut the door behind him, and Caia tiptoed over to press her ear against it. She had a feeling Ryder was in trouble.
She was right.
“Watch what you’re talking about,” Lucien hissed.
“I didn’t say anything,” Ryder protested.
“It was close.”
“Sorry. I’ll be careful.”
Caia retreated as she heard movement near the door and tried to look none-the-wiser as Ryder returned to join her up front. She was bemused when their conversation switched to movies.
Lucien was hiding something from her.
That meant he didn’t trust her.
Hopes she hadn’t even known she’d had deflated, and she had a feeling she was going to be depressed for the rest of the day.
Fifteen minutes later, just as Ryder was complaining of the need for lunch, the front door chimed. Alexa strolled in holding two brown-paper bags. She was wearing a figure-hugging short skirt and tight shirt, topped with a cropped leather jacket.
Gorgeous.
Hot.
Mature for age. At least in appearance.
Caia glanced down at her plain T-shirt and ragged jeans. Oh yeah, no comparison.
Alexa smiled sweetly at her, obviously for Ryder’s benefit. “Ryder.” She sashayed over to him. “Your mother said you would be here, so I brought two.” She handed him one of the paper bags that smelled of meat and then turned to Caia with a flash in her eyes. “I didn’t know you’d be here,” she lied and then smiled flirtatiously at Ryder again. “I’ll just take this through to Lucien.”
Caia watched in confusion—and annoyance—as Alexa swayed those hips out of the showroom and into Lucien’s workshop.
“Alexa comes by every Saturday with lunch for Lucien from my mother’s diner,” Ryder explained in a lowered voice.
Well, she hadn’t known that. “Oh,” was all she managed, curling her hands into tight fists. She had no reason to be mad, she knew that. She was the newcomer. But still, the girl was so obvious. She flinched at the sound of Lucien’s laughter. Alexa made him laugh?
Caia was thankfully saved from Ryder’s questioning gaze when a customer walked in. He was a tall guy, possibly in his late twenties, attractive in a human sort of way. His eyes lit up as Caia approached him.
“Can I help you?”
He appraised her, his grin slow and sexy. Even Caia the oblivious recognized male appreciation in that grin. She could actually feel Ryder’s tension at her back.
“Yes, you definitely can,” the guy replied.
“Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”
Another laugh sounded from Lucien in the workshop.
Caia’s hands curled into fists.
“Well.” The guy sighed dramatically. “My sister tells me I’ll never keep a girlfriend if I don’t update my apartment and it’s filled with crappy furniture. She recommended here for a dining set.”
“Okay.” Caia nodded, trying to focus. “Well,” she began, walking toward one of only three sets Lucien had on display. It was the least stylized and most solid set of straight-edged mahogany. It looked the most masculine. “There is this one.”
The guy nodded, running his hand along the back of one of the chairs. “It’s nice. Mahogany?”
“Yeah. If you have any particular questions, I can get the owner, Mr. Líder. He builds everything himself.”
“It’s all handcrafted?”
“Sure. If there is a design you would like to discuss with Mr. Líder, I can give you a copy of his portfolio, or, as I said, you can speak to him personally.”
The customer ran his eyes down her body. “That’s very cool. Mr. Líder is a lucky man to have such a competent assistant.”
Yeah, she was sure it was her competency he was ogling. He was as bad as Alexa. “Be sure to let him know that.”
“Oh, I will.” He leaned over the dining tabl
e. “You know, I’m not definite on the furniture, but I’ll certainly take your number.”
“Can I help?” The steel in Lucien’s tone rang through the store, like a sword unleashed from its scabbard. The hair on her nape rose. He only used that tone when he was seriously pissed. She glanced over her shoulder. Their gazes clashed, his hard and irritated, before he turned them on the customer.
Said customer raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “And you might be?”
Lucien stepped up the stairs from the doorway of his workshop onto the showroom floor, and Caia watched as the guy’s expression changed when he saw how huge Lucien was. His eyes flickered warily to Ryder and then back to Lucien.
“I’m the owner. Lucien Líder.”
The guy smiled, this time nervously, and indicated the room with a sweep of his hand. “Your furniture is well crafted.”
“Thank you,” Lucien replied stiffly. He glanced at Caia, and she frowned at his obvious anger. What in Hades was wrong with him? Alexa stood directly behind him, looking less than amused that his attention had been diverted.
“Oh.” The guy followed Lucien’s gaze. “Your assistant has been very helpful.”
“Is that right?” Lucien murmured, still looking at her.
Caia narrowed her eyes.
“Lucien?” Alexa’s questioning voice drew the customer’s attention and he treated her to the same lascivious once over he’d given Caia.
“Another assistant?” He smirked at Lucien. “You certainly know how to draw people to your store.”
Oh boy.
If this guy knew he was in a room of lykans, two of whom looked as if they might happily rip him apart, the cockiness would dissolve and the peeing of the pants would commence.
Lucien bristled. “We’re closed.”
“I … I’m sorry?”
Ryder was suddenly behind the guy and he clasped a big hand on the man’s shoulder only to lead him toward the door. “We forgot to put the sign up. Sorry. You’ll need to come back during business hours.”
“Bu—”
“Goodbye now,” he said cheerfully, and shoved the guy outside.
Silence rung throughout the shop.
Then Caia whirled on her boss. “You just threw out a potential paying customer.”
“So? Remember”—Lucien pointed to his ear—“lykan hearing. He wasn’t interested in the furniture.”
“That was just talk. I could’ve gotten him to buy that dining table,” she retorted. “Who peed in your water bowl?”
He raised an eyebrow at her “Excuse me?”
“Something has you pissed. Your attitude with that guy …” She looked to Ryder for an explanation. “I mean, I know lykans have an issue with temperament, but please …”
Alexa strode over to Lucien, draping a possessive hand over his shoulder. Caia pretended to ignore the gorgeous picture they made together. Both tall and dark and tan. “Lucien was just being protective,” Alexa purred. “That guy looked at me like he was stripping me naked.”
“After he stripped Caia naked first. Figuratively speaking.” Ryder stared at Lucien.
A muscle ticked in their pack leader’s jaw.
Was that the problem? Was Lucien possessive of her?
“The guy was sleazebag.” Lucien shrugged. “I don’t sell my furniture to sleazebags that only come into the store to scam on our women.”
Protective. Not possessive.
“So what? I’m not supposed to serve people who think Alexa and I are hot?”
“Yeah, if so, you’re going to lose a lot of business,” Alexa piped in. “Well, at least if I stick around. Caia shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.”
“Alexa, I want you to try something.” Ryder said.
“Sure.”
“It might be difficult but I think you can do it. If you try.”
“Okay?”
“It’s a little thing called being nice.”
Caia snorted.
“Nice is boring, Ryder.” Alexa gestured to Caia. “Case in point.”
“Alexa,” Lucien warned.
She bristled and huffed but threw a half-hearted apology in Caia’s direction.
“I don’t need you to stick up for me,” Caia asserted before turning to Alexa. She didn’t know where it came from, but she was suddenly feeling a little sassy and over the other female wolf. “Get off my back or I’ll make you get off my back.”
Alexa took a step toward her but Lucien held out an arm to restrain her. “Ladies.”
To Caia’s disgust Alexa went instantly submissive with a murmured apology and big, puppy eyes. And frankly, she didn’t want to be around to watch or hear the wolf drool all over the pack leader. Is that what she’d signed up for every Saturday?
Refusing to apologize, Caia asked, “Do I get a lunch break?”
“You haven’t eaten?” he frowned.
“No. Looks like I don’t qualify for a free lunch.”
Alexa huffed. “I didn’t know you work here now.”
“Right.”
Ryder laughed and failed to make it sound like a cough. “Uh, okay. Why don’t I take Cy out to lunch?”
“I can—”
“Great.” Caia cut off whatever Lucien was going to say. “I’m starved. Maybe Alexa can watch the store while I’m on break.” With her back to Lucien and Alexa she grinned cheekily and Ryder and she watched him struggle not to laugh.
Her amusement died, however, when she glanced over her shoulder as they departed.
Lucien stared solemnly after her, while Alexa leaned into him.
Holy Artemis they really did look right together.
Heart heavy for reasons Caia wasn’t ready to explore, she welcomed Ryder’s easy company as they strolled away from the store.
When Caia related the story to Jaeden later that night at her friend’s home, she was assured it was nothing weird for Lucien and Ryder to have acted the way they did, if the guy had been even the slightest bit lecherous.
“You know how temperamental we are. Well, males tend to get possessive over their womenfolk, even if said womenfolk aren’t their mates.”
“That was just testosterone?”
“Yeah.”
Caia grimaced. “How disgusting.”
Jaeden’s smile sheepish. “I don’t know. Don’t you think it’s a little hot?”
“No. We live in the twenty-first century. And we’re lykans. We don’t need any man to take care of us.”
“Sorry. I think it’s kind of nice that they care enough to want to smash in some human jerk’s face when he gets a little too friendly.”
“It was embarrassing.” Caia felt her cheeks redden at the thought of that poor guy. What must he have thought when Ryder shoved him out the door? Plus, he thought she was attractive. It was kind of nice. Her self-esteem had been beaten up lately, thanks to the rest of the pack women all looking like glamour girls. Her eyes flickered over Jaeden who was beautiful without even having to try.
“I know you don’t want to hear this”—Jaeden smiled cheekily—“but maybe Lucien kicked the guy out because he heard him asking for your number.”
The thought made her heart kick. It was a sweet thought. And it was based entirely outside the realm of reality. “I don’t think so.”
“You sound disappointed by that.” Jaeden’s blues sparkled with mischief. “Am I to assume one has feelings for our glorious leader?”
Oh crap. In her depression, she’d let too much show on her face. Trying desperately to redirect the conversation, she shook her head, laughing as if that were the most insane idea on the planet. “Oh, please. Of course not.”
Her friend looked unconvinced. “Uh, yeah … sure.”
“I don’t,” she retorted through gritted teeth.
Jaeden’s expression changed. She slumped and looked serious. “I really think he has feelings for you, Caia.”
“Don’t say that to me.” She got up and grabbed her bag, shoving her feet back into her shoes. Jaeden jum
ped up, anxiously following Caia as she made her way out of the bedroom and downstairs.
“Why? I think it’s the truth.”
Caia ignored her, her heart beating faster as she rushed out of Jaeden’s house. Her eyes fastened on her car with relief as she strode toward it.
“Caia.” Jaeden stopped her, spinning her around so they were face-to-face. “What’s wrong?”
She felt the threat of tears and gulped, holding them at bay. Before returning to the pack, she hadn’t cried since she was a little girl. These days it was all she seemed to do. She was so tired. Shaking her head, she pulled open her car door and threw her bag inside.
“Caia, please.”
She stopped at the worried look on Jaeden’s face. She realized Jae was afraid she’d offended her somehow. Caia should trust her; she owed her that much.
“I just …” She paused, trying to gather her thoughts. “I’m happy here, Jae.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is … I’m happy here, and I never have been before. But this is all new, and the pack is just getting to know me. If anyone thought, for one second, that I had designs on Lucien …”
She watched the light dawn in Jaeden’s eyes. “I see.”
“Not everyone is as accepting of me as you have been.”
Her friend drew her into an unexpected hug. “I won’t tell anyone you like him. I understand. I won’t tell.”
Caia breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her back tightly.
“Why are you calling?” he asked. “I told you not to phone me unless it was necessary.”
“Well,” she replied, “last time we spoke, you seemed anxious that things weren’t progressing as quickly as you would have liked. Today, I have reason to believe that Phase Two won’t be as far off as we thought.”