Stephan watched Kat bend down to remove her shoes. Holding them by the heels in one hand, she sauntered down the hall toward Marcus’ room. Jealousy slashed through him in a fiery blaze. He couldn’t abide the idea of Kat lying next to another male while she slept. He wanted her in his bed, embraced in his arms all day. He wanted his to be the first face she saw when she awoke.
“I’ll sleep on the couch from now on,” Marcus offered, obviously reading Stephan’s emotions. The Alpha’s tone, soft with emotion he knew not to voice, told Stephan that Marcus struggled to come to grips with the changes his relationship with Kat would bring.
Stephan simply nodded. He knew he could trust Marcus. Marcus was an honorable male. He would not touch Katrina now that they were together.
Logically he understood he should give Marcus permission to keep sleeping in his comfortable bed with Kat, but he couldn’t. He’d come to think of Kat as his, and he couldn’t tolerate another male sleeping in the same room as her.
He recognized the possessiveness he felt toward Katrina came from his love for her. The woman had somehow weaved her way into his heart, wrapped around it so tightly that now it would not beat without her.
The desire to claim her washed over his body, tightening it. He wanted her desperately. Wanted her in his bed. Wanted to show her he cared about her. Wanted her…body and soul.
Soon, he vowed to himself, soon he would claim her body, making her truly his.
Chapter 14
Nicholai sat across from his hosts in a wing backed chair, watching as Andrea returned with a tray of hot hors d’oeuvres. Their tempting smell did not cover the lingering odor that plagued Nicholai’s senses. A faint scent of stale, dirty human wafted to his nose, making him wonder where the scent emanated from. Though he could smell several humans, none had been seen anywhere during the tour of the home his hosts had taken him on.
“So Mr. Peterhof, tell us how you came to own a ballet company,” Andrea said, smiling as she settled back onto the sofa beside Gage.
“Call me Nicholai, please. Mr. Peterhof is too formal.” The warrior flashed her a warm smile before continuing on to tell his story. “When the Soviet Union collapsed, the economic crisis brought about financial hardships to the ballet companies. Without the state budget to back them, they looked to private investors. I happened to be fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time and bought one of the companies from Mother Russia.”
Andrea leaned toward Nicholai, seemingly hanging on every word he spoke in his heavy accent. “That’s fascinating. I’ve always loved the ballet. I think the ballet is the most beautiful form of dance. Don’t you?”
“Da, I would have to agree, Mrs. Lucio.” He swept his blue-black hair to the side of his face with a shake of his head.
“Andrea, please.” She affected a shy look, and a blush took her cheeks.
Nicholai reached for one of the cracker hors d’oeuvres. “I have always enjoyed the ballet, so when the opportunity came along for me to purchase a company, I could not resist.”
“I would love to dance the ballet, to be a prima ballerina.”
In a show of obvious male possessiveness, Gage pulled Andrea back under his arm. “I afraid you won’t be dancing the ballet anytime soon, my dear, at least not until the baby is born.”
“You are with child?” Nicholai asked. His face wore an expression of surprise that widened his eyes.
“Yes.” Gage beamed. “We just found out.”
“My congratulations to you both.”
“Thank you. We are very happy about the blessed event.” Andrea placed a protective hand over her slightly rounded stomach.
The expectant father covered his mate’s hand with his own. “Speaking of events, Nicholai, we are having a party next weekend on the twenty-ninth. We would love for you to attend.”
“What kind of party, if I might be so bold as to ask?” Nicholai kept his voice steady, careful to not sound suspicious. His mind worked quickly. His thoughts turned to the rumors he had heard about the hunt. Perhaps this couple played some part in the illegal activity. It could prove useful to infiltrate their party, if only to make other connections should they be proven to be innocent of any wrong doing.
Andrea winked at Gage, the movement noted by Nicholai’s watchful gaze. “Oh, the kind with yummy food and drink. It’s a two day event starting with a ball on Friday.”
Gage swallowed the food in his mouth. “You should come. I think you will like it.”
“It is kind of you to invite me. Perhaps I will be able to attend.”
“We would be honored if you would come,” Andrea chimed in.
“Then I shall put it on my calendar.”
His suspicions growing, Nicholai kept his voice light and even as he cautiously inquired, “Where will the events be?”
“The ball will be Friday at nine p.m. in the Lancelot room of the Camelot Hotel. The next evening’s events will start here in our home after dusk.”
The Alpha nodded his head once in acknowledgment. “Thank you for the invitation. I shall be there.”
“Excuse the intrusion,” a large male vampire said, entering the room. “Dinner is ready.”
They made their way into the dining room, and Nicholai’s mind processed the home, noting each entry point, each closed door, every guard. This was a couple with something to hide. He was sure of it.
During the meal, Nicholai carefully probed the couple for more information, trying to discern if they might be involved in the hunt club. After all, they had not come right out and referred to their party as a hunt, but Nicholai couldn’t shake the feeling of evil that surrounded him in their home. His preternatural senses were firing, telling him something was amiss. He just needed time to figure out what.
After they finished their meal, he spent a little more time with his hosts making small talk, then Nicholai made his excuses and left, determination quickening his stride as he made his way to his rental car. He headed for Stephan’s penthouse, for he needed to talk things through with his fellow Alphas, share what little information he had been able to amass from his hosts.
As the saying goes, he thought sliding behind the wheel, three heads are better than one.
Chapter 15
Marcus and Kat stood in the penthouse gym facing each other on the blue padded mat. Marcus had pushed all the equipment to the walls and raised the platform on the treadmill so they would have room to spar. Stephan rested his weight against the wall which had three full-length mirrors. He stood with one ankle crossed over the other, his thick arms folded across his chest. He’d been overseeing these sparring sessions for weeks, the protective side of him not entirely comfortable with Kat fending off Marcus.
Stephan knew Marcus himself felt equally uneasy, as well he should, because the vampire he sired wasn’t sure what Stephan would do if Katrina accidentally got hurt. And to be honest, Stephan wasn’t exactly sure either.
Under Stephan’s narrowed gaze, the session continued. Marcus grabbed Kat from behind in a Full Nelson with both of his arms encircling her under her armpits, his hands secured at her neck.
“Okay, Kat. Do you remember how to get out of this one?”
“Well…I could let my body go limp.” Kat did just that, letting her arms reach up against both sides of her head as her knees went weak, and she dropped. Marcus, obviously expecting the move, tightened his grip, keeping her firmly in his hold. Stephan straightened in protest when Marcus held Kat suspended from her arms and neck.
“Good try,” Marcus said while Kat straightened once again to bear her own body weight. “But what if your attacker didn’t drop you? What else could you do?”
“Well, then I could do this…” Kat threw her head back into Marcus’ nose. The room filled with the sound of crunching bone as his nose broke. Blood flowed down, coating the back of Kat’s head, turning her golden locks crimson. Stephan smiled, a feeling of pride washing over him.
Marcus grabbed his nose and slid the bones back into place.
“Very good move, Kat,” Stephan said with little concern since he knew Marcus would heal from the small wound quickly thanks to the vampiric blood running through his veins.
“Thank you.” Kat smiled at Marcus. Stephan handed Katrina a towel which she took with a thanks and wiped the blood from her blonde strands.
“Are you ready to do a little hand to hand combat now?” Marcus asked after stuffing two wads of cotton up his nostrils to stay the bleeding.
“Don’t you think I should be asking you that?” Kat smirked. “You seem to be the one who could use a break.”
Marcus smiled, looking pointedly at Stephan. “You are right, Kitty Kat. I am always the one who gets hurt during our sessions.”
“As well you should be.” Stephan smiled his approval.
“If I didn’t let you use full force, Kat, how would you learn? You need to get used to using appropriate force, and since I heal quickly, there is no reason not to let you injure me,” Marcus said as he donned pads while Kat pulled on her boxing gloves.
Marcus had told him that he wanted to keep the sessions as real as possible so he went after Kat with as much force as he dared. The purpose of the sessions was to teach her how to defend herself in the event she was ever attacked again, and it was hard to do that if Marcus didn’t at least use the equivalent of human strength and speed when attacking Kat.
Marcus placed his padded hands up in a fighting stance, and Katrina’s punches flew. She threw upper cuts, followed by a series of left and right punches into the pads. Marcus easily blocked each blow. After a few minutes, Marcus straightened dropping his guard. “That’s great, now let’s try some kicks.”
Kat took a deep breath and wiped the perspiration from her brow. She began a succession of kicks, each one easily blocked by Marcus.
Stephan watched, smiling. “That’s my girl. You’re doing great! Kick his ass.” Kat looked at him and smiled, clearly enjoying the compliment while letting her guard down.
Marcus took advantage of Kat’s momentary distraction and grabbed her from behind pinning her arms to her side as he lifted her off of her feet. Her instincts took over, and she struggled against his hold. She threw her head back once again, contacting with his nose. Marcus dropped Kat as his head snapped back, his face contorted in pain. She landed in a heap on the blue mat. Stephan chortled, his laughter echoing throughout the gym.
“Way to go, Kitten! That was impressive.” Stephan felt a flurry of pride, his chest expanding with satisfaction at the sight of his woman besting his friend. He was instantly beside her to help her to her feet.
As Marcus wiped the blood from his nose with his forearm, the doorbell rang.
“That will be Nicholai,” Stephan said and easily drew Katrina to her feet, dusting off her behind. “Marcus, go get cleaned up while I let Nicholai in. We’ll meet you in the library.”
“Can I offer you a drink?” Stephan asked, as he led his friend to the library.
“That would be appreciated. I will take vodka if you have any.”
Stephan sent Marcus a mental command, asking him to bring in drinks when he joined them in the library.
The library was a semi-circular room with built-in bookcases lining the curved walls. Stephan kept a thick, ornately carved desk in the center of the room. Two matching chairs with hand-carved arms and claw-foot legs sat flanking a matching small claw-footed table with a glass top.
“Marcus will be joining us soon. Please sit down.” Stephan informed his fellow Alpha, gesturing to one of the matching burgundy print upholstered chairs. Marcus entered the room carrying a vodka tonic in one hand and a scotch on the rocks in the other.
Nicholai crossed one ankle over his knee and accepted the glass from Marcus. “Thank you.” He did a double take. “Shit, you look awful, Marcus. What happened to you?”
Marcus wiped the blood from his nose and sat in the chair opposite from Nicholai. “I was sparring.”
“With Kat,” Stephan offered with a genuine smile that reached the corners of his eyes.
Nicholai laughed. “A human female did that to you?”
“Yeah, she did this. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. I’ll be fine.”
“I am sure you will, comrade. I trust Miss Katrina is unharmed?”
“Kat is just fine. Marcus was the only one who took a beating.” Stephan beamed, bringing a heavy hand to rest on Marcus’ shoulder.
Nicholai grinned wide, showing his teeth. “I have always thought the beautiful ones were the most dangerous.”
“You can say that again,” Marcus said, straightening his nose one final time as the bones knit back together. He pulled the cotton from his nose.
Stephan eased into his chair behind the massive desk. “So Nicholai, have you seen the couple that was in your office after the ballet performance?”
“I just came from there. I think they may be a place to start looking for clues about the hunt club.” Nicholai took a sip of his drink.
“What makes you think that?’
“Nothing was out of the ordinary when they took me on a tour of the home, but there was a smell, like stale human and a strong sense of dread and fear, the stench of which permeated the house. There is something not right in that house. I do not know if it will turn out to be the hunt club, but definitely something is not right.”
Stephan nodded in understanding and took a swig of his scotch. “I think we should do some recon on the house. Watch it for a few days and see if we notice anything suspicious happening.”
“I can do that,” Marcus volunteered. “The only thing is that someone will need to pick up Kat after work.”
“That is not a problem. I’ll get her,” Stephan volunteered a little too quickly, bringing a smirk to Marcus’ face.
After taking another gulp of his scotch, he inquired, “If Nicholai shows you where the house is located, can you dematerialize there or will you need to borrow the car?”
Marcus dropped his gaze to his shoes. “I can’t dematerialize yet, I’ll need the car. I’ll take the Hummer.”
Stephan smiled, a sinful idea popped into his mind like a firecracker. “If I’m picking up Kat, I’ll need the Hummer. You can take the Mercedes.”
The three warriors discussed their plan in detail, agreeing that Marcus would watch the home from a mountain located nearby and report his findings back to Stephan. By the time the evening turned into early morning, they’d worked out a plan, decided which part each of them would play, as well as established a timeline. When the pink hues of dawn threatened to take the sky, the Alphas made their way downstairs.
After escorting Nicholai to the door, the males bid each other goodbye, grasping forearms in the way of the warrior. Kat strolled up as Nicholai was leaving. “Goodbye, Mr. Peterhof.”
Nicholai stepped past Stephan and Marcus, and bowing over Kat’s hand, he placed a kiss squarely on the back. “Please call me Nicholai, Ms. Spencer.”
“Only if you call me Kat.”
“A rose by any other name,” Nicholai mused as he straightened to his full height, still holding her hand in his much larger one. “Kat it is then. Goodnight, sweet Kat.” He turned on his heels and once outside the door dematerialized, leaving only a wisp of smoke behind.
“Does he do that a lot?” asked Kat, looking up at Stephan.
“Do what? Dematerialize?” Stephan tucked her under his arm.
“No, quote poetry. Both times I’ve met him he has quoted poetry.”
Stephan pondered the observation as they made their way to the kitchen to join Marcus. “Yes actually. He does quote poems often. I hadn’t really noticed until you mentioned it.”
“A man with a heart of a poet. How romantic, especially for someone so young.”
Marcus snickered. “Young? Nicholai is older than I am.”
“Really?” Katrina could not keep the disbelief from her voice. “He looks like he’s around my age.”
Stephan shrugged deftly changing the subject to bring
Katrina’s thoughts back to him. “Want something to eat? I’m thinking about having some ice cream.”
“Sure, that sounds good.”
“I’ll get the bowls,” volunteered Marcus.
Stephan grabbed the ice cream and toppings while Marcus placed the bowls on the table. The three sat and created their sundaes. Marcus took the spray can of whipped topping and shook it ominously with a smirk on his face. He lifted one eyebrow, eyeing Kat, mischief darkening his eyes.
“I think I owe you for earlier,” he threatened.
“No. You wouldn’t dare.” Kat furrowed her brows. “Stephan, stop him.”
The Alpha leader raised his hands in mock surrender. “This is between you and Marcus. You wounded his pride, now he wants retribution.”
Marcus shook the can aiming it toward Katrina and looked for approval from Stephan. A quick nod of his head and Marcus gave a squirt of topping on her nose. Stephan’s gut tightened when Katrina’s lips parted to inhale an indignant gasp of air and her tiny pink tongue darted out to lick at the cream.
Stephan reached one long finger and scooped the whipped cream from her nose. Kat quickly grabbed Stephan’s hand before he could retract it. Bringing his finger to her mouth, she drew it in, sucking the white goodness from the end of his finger. Stephan closed his eyes, a soft moan escaped his lips. Without thinking, he reached out with his thoughts to gently stroke her face. Her eyes widened in shock. “What was that?” Kat placed her hand on her cheek.
His lips smirked as he purposely shifted his thoughts to give the impression of him trailing his fingers up her thigh. “What was what?” he asked with mock innocence.
“You know darn well what I mean. I can feel you touching me. How are you doing that?”
“You mean this?” Without touching her physically, he teased her nipple into a hard pink point that could be seen through the blue T-shirt she wore.
She gasped. “Stop that.”
“What? Don’t you like it?” A smile of male satisfaction crossed his lips.
She smiled at him “I think if you keep this up, I won’t be able to think straight.”
Alpha Mine (The Alpha Council Chronicles) Page 10