by Emma Roman
Though she and he had not crossed paths previously—she wasn’t an idiot. If Jerome was Serafina’s right hand, then Hugo was her left. If she needed it done, Hugo would make it happen. It didn’t matter what the job was, Hugo took them all. For several months, he’d been babysitting the Three Rivers pack. Rumor had it, Serafina tasked him with a new assignment—one which kept him on the move.
Lesley-Anne only knew about the latest because his brother had let it slip. Christopher Ferrara wasn’t supposed to be in the know, but Hugo was his beloved elder brother and he worshiped the ground the Hound walked on.
“Maybe I searched the house and the Quarter.” Though even he winced on the last.
This time Lesley-Anne and didn’t bother to disguise her snort. One hand on her hip, she simply shook her head. “You stepped outside to cool off. When you saw a lady alone, you thought to yourself, ‘She doesn’t appear attached. I’m home for a bit, so I think I’ll get laid.’” She didn’t hide the disdain in her voice.
“Your teeth are very sharp, pretty one.” Hugo closed the distance between them. Instead of being deterred by the sharpness of her tone, he seemed rather intrigued. “To what do I owe the honor of your ire?”
“To what ire are you referring?” She took another drink, this time draining what was left of her hurricane. She’d need the alcohol to steel herself for this conversation. Her wolf wagged its tail, as desperate as a puppy for attention.
Really? For Hugo? Don’t you think we can do better?
She didn’t want a mate who was always gone, or a mate whose lothario-like reputation with the ladies served as grist for the pack’s rumor mill. In fact, all she really wanted this evening was to celebrate the end of a very fruitful engagement, which led to the mating of Christopher and Rachel, as well as to celebrate the survival of Delta Crescent into a new year. Was that too much ask?
“I get the distinct impression you’re very unhappy to see me.” Hugo set his drink down on the stone balustrade. With the nimble grace of their species, he leapt to sit next to it. A man in a top coats and tails shouldn’t look so comfortable atop a stone railing, yet he could have been lounging in a King Louis XVI chair.
“Not that I like to accuse anyone of paranoia, but worrying about whether or not I approve of you…particularly at our first meeting? That’s a little paranoid.” What Lesley-Anne desperately needed was another hurricane. Or perhaps to return to the party.
Before he could respond, the music inside changed and gave way to a grand waltz. A waltz Serafina and her mate led, as the first couple to sweep onto the floor. The pair moved with such smooth precision, and grace that it arrested all thought within Lesley-Anne. She, like most of the wolves present, was riveted. Not just because their alpha was dancing, or because she dressed in a stunning red velvet creation which hugged her frame, yet flared out and gave her an ageless look of beauty. No, what held their attention captive was there alpha’s deep and abiding happiness in her mate on display for all of them to enjoy.
Lesley-Anne didn’t think she would have ever seen Linc as the ideal match for Serafina, not if she only went by what was on the surface. Yet they both possessed loyalty, honor, and commitment to family and pack. The couple was a perfect complement to one another. So, while the mind didn’t always know, and the heart couldn’t always predict—the scent usually settled the matter.
They made happily-ever-after look good.
“They look good together.” Hugo’s dry observation reminded her of his continued presence.
“Please don’t tell me you’re one of those Hounds that doesn’t approve of the mating.”
His derisive snort went a long way toward elevating him in her estimation. Considering how low it was, he needed all the elevation he could get. “Not even close. I didn’t have my sights set on her, though I know that’s what few Hounds don’t like about him. But even they are coming around.”
Linc Buckley had assumed many desperately needed tasks within Delta Crescent, including building homes—not only for the wolves, but also for those displaced by Katrina. So many years later for them to still have displaced, but he’d simply rolled up his sleeves and gone to work. The wolves did what they could, but human infrastructure was not their specialty. Yet, Linc demonstrated vital knowledge that not only helped to improve the condition of the Delta Crescent wolves, but also of the people who shared the city with them.
“He’s certainly not political, and his loyalty is 100% Serafina’s and no one else’s. These are all good things in a well-made match.” Serafina’s devotion to her mate was obvious to anyone with eyes. A happy alpha made for a happy pack, a stable pack, and one capable of shouldering the losses of the previous year. The death of Faust was still something they all felt.
“Hey, why so sad?” Her scent must’ve betrayed her, because Hugo’s sudden concern left her heart aching.
“I was just thinking of what Faust would’ve thought of this party.” Unlike the many, Lesley-Anne didn’t avoid her grief, nor refuse to name it. Faust had been one of theirs, and loved by many, Lesley-Anne included. His loss should never go unmentioned.
“Yeah, I miss the Irish bastard. He was a good one, but he died the way any Hound would want to go out. He died protecting pack. Sovvan survived, too. He died protecting someone he loved, so he died well.”
“There’s no such thing as dying well.” Lesley-Anne turned, aggravated with his blithe remark. “There’s death. There is a loss of life. That he saved Sovvan is a wonderful gift, but to call his loss a good death? Isn’t that pushing it?”
“He was a Hound, sweetheart. Hounds live to die for the pack. It’s why we’re here.”
Well, that was another strike in the column against wanting this wolf to be her mate. It didn’t matter if he had the scent markers or that her wolf was all but rolling over in desperation for his attention. A wolf who was willing to die so easily would leave her heartbroken. Maybe she had too much to drink… Her thoughts were so muddled, but she wanted to grow old with her mate, not mourn them too soon.
“I don’t believe anyone should have to die for the pack. I think every loss is a terrific loss. We should mourn them, and miss them, and celebrate their lives. But I will never call the loss of the packmate a good death.”
“You misunderstand me. Missing Faust is more than acceptable. Raising a glass to him every time we join together as a pack, preferable. But his death wasn’t in vain. He did not die a senseless death. He died protecting his charge. He died, and she lived. In accomplishing that, he brings great honor—not only to himself, but to all of us as an example. We should always remember that, and if we celebrate him, we celebrate that his death was good for the pack at the end of the day.”
“I am neither Hound nor soldier, so I won’t pretend to understand your flawed logic. I thought of Faust as a friend. So, my grief is for myself. I grieve for the loss of his companionship, as well as the loss of his life. I will never be able to think of his death as good.”
“Respect.” With two small syllables, Hugo twisted her viewpoint of him once more. Gone was the arrogant swagger and in its place, quiet contemplation.
Inside, her wolf sighed the sigh of a fan girl suddenly granted an audience with their favorite star.
Oh, good grief.
2
Hugo wasn’t sure why he remained on the veranda with the masked wolf. Yet, from the moment he caught sight of the dark-skinned beauty in her gold and black dress, he hadn’t been able to look away. He had any number of invitations from willing females to entertain him for the evening, and in spite of that his gaze returned to this single wolf time and again.
Was it the subtle indication of devil horns in her mask, or the soft golden crown she wore that gave her a halo which attracted him? Or was it the fluid way she had moved, weaving through the crowd like an expert? She always had a kind word or remark which set others off into laughter. More, it was the way the other wolves flocked around her. From the matrons down to the youngest youth in atte
ndance. He even saw Serafina paused for a moment at her side, shooing her audience away like errant children so that she could have a word. Through it all, this beauty remained utterly self-possessed and calm. Still, when she smiled, it been like a kick straight to his gut.
Hugo had followed her to satisfy his curiosity and to get his wolf’s attention off of her so that he could go back to enjoying his weekend. He was in New Orleans for three days and three days only. In the last month alone, he’d clocked more than ten thousand miles in driving from one end of the country to the other.
Currently, with no real certainty about how the Russians tracked their movements, they’d returned to some of the old ways to communicate between the alphas. Hugo’s current position had him ferrying messages from Serafina to Mason in Willow Bend, Cassius in Sutter Butte, and to Brett in Hudson River. He hadn’t been required to make the trek to the Yukon yet—thank God. If he really wanted to go to the back of beyond, he’d probably choose somewhere a little more tropical.
“As we have found some measure of agreement, can I coax you into dancing with me?” So far, her tart responses to each of his questions amused him. When he settled on the balustrade, he planned only to satisfy his curiosity. Instead, he found his hunger to know more about her aroused further.
Not to mention other things.
“No, thank you. I don’t dance.” Well, that was a lie. The first one she’d actually said since he joined her. Interesting.
“You don’t know how? Or you don’t like it?” If she didn’t know how, he could offer her a lesson. It would be an excuse to get her in his arms and test her scent. The crisp breeze of a fall night warmed with notes of clove, geranium, basil, cedar wood and musk tickled his nose, but he didn’t recognize her.
In and of itself, his lack of recognition shouldn’t be worth remarking on. Delta Crescent had the highest density population of wolves in all the packs. It was quite literally the largest. They sprawled across the south, and though the highest population lived in New Orleans proper, it was still entirely possible to go one’s whole life and still not meet every single member of Delta Crescent.
“It’s not really any of your business whether I know how to dance now is it?” She’d drawn verbal claws. His interest only piqued further.
“True, so I must earn the knowledge. Understood.” He glanced toward the open doors as more wolves filed out, mostly couples dancing and laughing. They trailed off into the darkness, most likely to satisfy their passions. Pity, Hugo could be one of those wolves right now, except for the fact that his partner of choice was a little prickly.
Still, nothing good ever came easy, and he was rather enjoying himself, if he were to be utterly honest. Snapping his fingers, he got the attention of one of the waiters. The gentleman stepped out with a polite smile.
“Another for the lady, please, and a beer for me. Thank you.”
He could drink something more refined, but one thing he discovered after being on the road was a deep and abiding fascination for beer. Beer, in all of its different variations. Particularly up north, with their microbreweries. They really needed to get a few more of those down here in the south.
“Beer?” Disgust roiled in that single syllable, but his companion offered her glass to the waiter with a gentle smile and added, “Thank you. It was a hurricane, though I think I should probably switch to wine now.”
“Very good, miss. Which do you prefer, red or white?”
The lady in question glanced down at her dress then at the waiter and smiled. “Definitely white. Red would stain the gold.”
“Very good, miss.” Then the waiter looked to him. “Would you prefer a bottle or in glass, sir?”
Where did Serafina find the guys? She always had the most utterly polite staff, no matter where the parties were being held. While this party might be for his brother’s mating, there was no doubt that Serafina had fully engaged in the process. After all, it was the alpha’s house. “Whatever is easier for you, Jeeves.”
“The name is, Reginald,, sir. Which you are very well aware.” And busted by the butler.
As soon as the waiter left them to fetch their drinks, he cleared his throat. “Ever been verbally spanked before?”
“Oh yes,” his companion said. “Though I got over the need for it when I was five.”
“Ouch. Second verbal spanking of the night.” He leaned toward her with a grin and a wink. “What does a guy gotta do to go for number three?”
She canted her head, her gaze locking with his for the first time since he’d joined her. Gold flecks sprinkled across her deep brown eyes. They seemed to glint in the moonlight, like jewels scattered across the bottom of a lazy river. Utterly captivating.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to find a new partner. I’m not that fond of having to verbally abuse others in order to find my pleasure.”
“You really don’t think much of me, do you?” What a humbling experience it was. Even his wolf sat back, somewhat surprised. “Have I done something to offend you?”
Considering he’d been away more than at home over the last year, he couldn’t recall an event where he might’ve trampled upon her feelings. Of course, he couldn’t recall her at all, so that didn’t bode well for his chances. Perhaps if she removed the mask, he would recognize her, but as alluring as her scent was proving on his senses and his inability to place it, he doubted they’d ever been in the same place before, much less introduced.
“Not at all, though you seem intent on winning my approval for some reason. Have I done something to earn your interest, Mr. Ferrar?”
Great, she knew who he was, which suggested he had done something to offend her.
Fanfuckingtastic.
He would have to start over in the negative column in order to score points. Well, he’d always had something for the underdog, and he had great faith in himself.
“I think your dress is lovely,” he told her reaching for the first thing that came to mind. “You captured my imagination from the moment I saw you. Though I wasn’t here when you arrived, and you have been quite busily making your way through the crowd, I can deduce that you are well loved by the pack. Always a good sign.”
Well loved and she’d known Faust, known him well enough to grieve his loss. Which meant she was close to the inner circle. Faust had been Sovvan’s guardian for so long that his activities, outside of the alpha challenge when Serafina ascended, had been minimal. Which meant the lovely lady next to him was most likely an older friend of Serafina’s.
Definitely not Regina, because Regina had platinum blonde hair with a rainbow embedded in it. Silly little wolf was so convinced she could shift and keep her rainbow colors—she hadn’t given up on trying, even after a decade’s worth of failures. Still, it was rather adorable. Not to mention Etienne was interested in Regina, and he snarled at any wolf who looked twice in her direction.
She wasn’t one of the Traiteurs—the pack healers. Of the three he knew Delta Crescent had, only Amy was based in the Quarter. She was elsewhere tonight, working on business for the pack. Amy also had her own contingent of Hounds, as Serafina upgraded the security to all key members of the pack. So, Amy wouldn’t be out here alone. No members of the pack were allowed to run solo, unless on specifically designated duty—such as Hugo.
And she definitely wasn’t a Hound. He might not know all the wolves in the pack, but he did know the Hounds. Jerome and Trish were the heads of Serafina’s private security, and he and Jerome went way back. Hugo most often acted as second when Jerome was occupied.
“I’ll do you a favor,” his companion said, in that lovely contralto of hers. “We’ve never been formally introduced.”
“Well, that much I’d already figured out,” he said then paused as the waiter returned with their drinks. He thanked him politely and then the waiter returned to his rounds of the party. “What I’m trying to figure out is when I’ve upset you, so that I can apologize for it and thus win your forgiveness. Then, as we sit here and share th
ese drinks under this beautiful moonlit sky, we can spend our time getting to know each other better, rather than me fumbling around in the dark like a bull in a china shop.”
She laughed. The rich sweetness of it eddied around him like so many fingers running through his hair. It sent shivers along his spine and electricity arcing to every nerve point. His wolf rose, and Hugo’s nostrils flared. The laughter reflected even in her scent, and it was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.
“Do that again.” His voice had dropped, and he could hear the low thrum of his wolf growling as his beast prowled closer to the surface. Hugo and his wolf had always lived hand-in-hand. As Serafina once remarked, he was more wolf than man, and he had no problem with it.
“Do what, exactly?” At least she sounded more engaged in the conversation and far less dismissive. Perhaps he had managed to edge closer to out of the negative column.
“Laugh. It’s a beautiful sound.”
“Thank you, though flattery will get you nowhere.” She raised her wine glass, and he touched the bottleneck of his beer to her glass with a clink of sound. “To new challenges.”
“To new discoveries.” He had plenty of challenges; he didn’t need anymore.
They both nodded then took a drink. Laughter rose inside, and she glanced away toward the crowd. A soft smile played at the corners of her lips. Hugo followed her gaze. the mated pair had joined the alpha and her mate on the dance floor and the band struck up what sounded suspiciously like a reel. From the look on the face of the poor alpha’s mate he was not prepared for this, but by God, he gave it an effort.
“Poor Lincoln.” His companion murmured, with a shake of her head. “I am afraid that no matter what we throw at him, nothing will ever faze him.”
“It’s good for them,” Hugo said with amusement. “I like the guy, don’t get me wrong. He’s fantastic for her. I haven’t seen her this happy since she was…” He paused and had to think about it. Had he ever seen Serafina this happy? Even in the midst of war, she always had a smile and the woman who had become the mother to the whole pack lit from within by simple joy. “To be honest, I don’t know when I when I’ve ever seen her this happy. Linc is good for her. He’s good for the pack.”