by Sasha White
“So, if say, a member of your pack had troubles, he could come to you and get help?”
Severin locked gazes with me.
My stomach did a complicated floor routine that included a few somersaults and a triple back flip.
“The pack is a family. We help each other like any family would.” His eyes darkened a bit, and I had a sense that my question had rattled him. “If your favorite uncle was a lawyer, wouldn’t he help you if you ever got into trouble with the law?”
“I suppose, yes.”
Wineglass in hand, he swirled the red liquid but continued to stare at me. He touched his cheek with his other hand. “What happened? I can see marks on your face that weren’t there before.”
I was thrown off by the change in subject, and I had to close my mouth to stop and think about how to answer his question. I thought I’d done a good job of covering all my injuries with makeup. I had a desperate urge to check my face in a mirror. Instead, I raised the silverware and looked at my cheek. Although my head looked like a balloon in the glint of the bread knife, I couldn’t see any marks and I knew that they were there.
“I had a little run in with a stray dog.” I set down the knife, but continued to fidget.
“Really?” He tilted his head as he studied me. “I don’t scent a dog on you at all. There’s something else there, an animal possibly, but definitely not a dog.”
Could he smell the pixie? I hadn’t even thought about that possibility. I had to remember that Severin was not your average hot man, he was a werewolf with a heightened sense of smell, and who knew what else.
“Could I ask you a few more questions?”
He shrugged. “I suppose, but really I came to sweet talk you into my bed.”
“You’re relentless.” I shook my head.
“Yes, I am.”
There was another spark in the gorgeous blue of his eyes, and it set off a twin response between my thighs. God, the man was going to kill me with just his looks. He hadn’t even touched me yet.
Yet. Deep down inside, I knew it was a forgone conclusion. I knew instinctively that I would eventually succumb to this man’s flirtations. “Severin…”
“I’ll make you a deal.” Arching a brow, he sat back in his chair. “You can ask me three questions about anything and I will answer as truthfully as I can.”
I sensed he was playing with me, goading me into something. Unexpectedly, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. “What do you want in return?”
“Your home address.”
I blinked, my body gripped in panic. “Why? Why would you want that?”
“I like to run a lot at night. I could stop by next time for a drink,” he licked his lips, “or something.”
I knew I should say no deal. That he couldn’t blackmail my home address out of me. But the truth was, I probably would’ve given it to him eventually without his bargain. “I can ask you anything, and you’ll answer?”
He shrugged. “If I can. There are some things about the pack that I won’t divulge, to anyone, for any reason.”
“Okay. It’s a deal.”
Grinning, he picked up his drink.
I picked up mine and we tapped glasses. As I took a sip, I kept his gaze. It was intense and laced with sexual intent. I felt like a gladiator on one side of the coliseum coming face to face with my greatest opponent. Luckily, there was no audience around us chanting for blood. I was having a hard time as it was without the extra pressure.
Before I could ask my first question, the waiter arrived with our food. My stomach growled the instant the plate of pasta was set down in front of me.
“Enjoy,” the waiter said as he bowed his way away from our table.
Without ceremony, I picked up my fork and dug into the food. I hardly tasted the first mouthful. After another two forkfuls, I lingered to appreciate the flavor. Now that I could actually taste it, the food was spectacular. “This is really good,” I said around another mouthful.
Severin chuckled. “I like a woman who enjoys her food.”
I set down my fork, embarrassed that I had been shoveling the food into my mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the food came.”
“Don’t apologize. You should enjoy all of life’s pleasures. Food, drink, sex.” He lifted an eyebrow with the last word.
I shook my head. “Is it always about seduction?”
“I’m in tune with my baser nature. I revel in as much pleasure as I can get.” He smiled. “You should try it some time. It’s liberating.”
As I chewed another mouthful of pasta, I considered my first question. “Do werewolves mate for life? Like real wolves.”
“No. That’s a myth.” He angled his head again and regarded me in that inquisitive way of his.
I felt so naked when he looked at me like that. Like I’d been split open and laid bare to his gaze. He had that affect, even from the moment I met him. “But I will say this, I am monogamous. When I’m in a relationship with a woman, I’m all hers for as long as she wants me. I don’t sleep around.”
Despite myself, I smiled. “I’ll make a note of that.”
“Good.”
For the next few minutes, we ate without talking. The experience was nice and not as uncomfortable as I assumed it would be. When I was done my meal, I set down the fork and patted my mouth with the extremely wrinkled napkin. I took a sip of wine and prepared myself for my next question.
The waiter arrived and gathered our finished plates. “Would you care for dessert? The tiramisu is delicious.”
“I’d love some.”
The razor-like hum of a pager sounded near Severin. Frowning, he pulled the small device from his belt and glanced at the number. Without a word, he set it back but his demeanor had changed. The difference was subtle, but I noticed it like a red flag.
“I’m afraid we’ll have that tiramisu to go.”
“You have to leave?”
He nodded, already reaching for his wallet.
I glanced at the waiter. “Forget the dessert.”
He scampered away with our dirty dishes to fetch the check.
For some reason, my muscles tensed in anger. Like I was being robbed of something. I was pissed at not having the chance to ask more questions, but the sensation was more than that. An empty feeling I couldn’t quite name scooped out my insides.
Severin eyed me as he took out his credit card. “You’re angry.”
I shook my head. “Of course not. I can’t keep you from your business.”
When the check came, Severin handed his card to the waiter then grabbed my hand to do that thumb-rubbing thing on my wrist. I had to bite down on my tongue to stop from moaning just a little at the sensations zinging through me.
“I owe you dessert.”
After he signed the bill, he walked me to the door to get my jacket. As we crossed the room, his hand rested at the small of my back. Enough contact to send a rush of shivers up and down my body. God, how I wanted to lean into that touch, to let him gather me in his arms and press his lips to the back of my neck where I was extremely sensitive.
Once I retrieved my coat, Severin, ever the gentleman, held it as I slid my arms into the sleeves. As he settled it over my shoulders, I could feel the warmth of his body pressed against my back. An involuntary quiver erupted through me. He made no indication of moving from his position behind me, his hands resting gently on my arms.
The intensity of the situation had me swallowing a moan or two. I wanted to sigh in rapture, but instead I bit my lip. The copper taste of blood filled my mouth.
“You,” I cleared my throat. It was so damn dry with him near. “You owe me a few questions still.”
He chuckled, and I could feel his hot breath on the slope of my neck not covered by my jacket. “I suppose so.”
“And I guess you won’t be getting my home address.”
He shifted then, and I could feel his lips against my ear. I couldn’t stop the shudder of pleasure that rushed
through me. “I already have it.”
I swiveled and stared in surprise.
His smile fading, he raised his hand and cupped my cheek. Staring into my eyes, he ran his thumb over my bottom lip. They parted in response, in anticipation for more. I couldn’t stop myself. He was so potent, like a drug that I just had to have.
“You have no idea how much I don’t want this night to end,” he murmured.
I expected him to kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me…no, needed him to. I had an insatiable thirst and Severin was the only thing that could quench it. But he didn’t. Instead, he did another sweep of his thumb over my lip, then dropping his hand, he took a step away.
“Good night, Nina.” With that, he pushed open the restaurant door and disappeared through it. In a daze, I stood in the restaurant lobby. Not until the hostess came over to ask me if I was okay did I realize I hadn’t moved in the past ten minutes. I thanked her for her concern and left the restaurant.
By the time the attendant returned with my bike, my body had stopped shaking, my knees almost felt like they could support me again. My reaction seemed like I was going through withdrawals and Severin was my heroin. The crazy thing was we hadn’t even kissed yet.
If this was what he could do to me now with only the slightest touch and hint of sex, I didn’t think I would survive a more intimate encounter. Having sex with Severin would most definitely kill me.
Chapter 8
As I drove home, I realized my body was just as revved as my bike. The vibrations of the seat between my legs didn’t help matters any. By the time I got home, I knew I’d need a cold shower to purge the desire that Severin had mounted inside me.
I made a right turn and, glancing down at my gas gauge, realized I needed to top off the tank in order to make it home. I spied the Petro on the corner, pulled into the lot and up to a pump. As I filled my tank, I glanced around the station.
There was only one other person pumping gas. A heavy set woman quickly screwed the cap back on her tank as she eyed me. Her gaze was intense and I had to lower mine. She was making me a bit nervous.
Once my tank was full, I hung up the nozzle and sensed movement. I heard the scuff of boots on concrete. I glanced up to see the woman walking toward me, her face set in an angry scowl.
“I can see you, you know,” she said, her hands resting on her hips and standing about three feet away.
I finished putting the cap on the tank, and went to grab my helmet. “Well, I am standing in front of you.”
She frowned, and the expression set deep ridges in her high forehead. “I can’t believe you’re under his protection. It’s not right.”
“I’m sorry?” I fiddled with the strap on my helmet. “I don’t think I know what you’re talking about. Do you need some help? I’m a nurse.”
This offer had her spitting on the ground. “Don’t need anything from the likes of you.”
I smirked. “I really think you have me confused with someone else.”
“I know exactly who you are. And the time will come when he can’t protect you, Ubel einer.” She turned on her heel and returned to her vehicle. She opened her door but before she got in, she cried, “When the war comes, I’ll be waiting for you.”
With that, she got into her car, turned the engine over and peeled out of the station.
I watched her go, completely flabbergasted into silence. What does a person say to all that? I hadn’t a clue what she was talking about. I was sure she had me confused with someone else. But with the way she regarded me, as if she could truly see through me, to my deepest part, I shivered, thinking maybe not.
And who was he? God? Maybe she’d been a religious fanatic and didn’t like my looks.
I slid on my helmet, and got back on the bike. I needed a drink when I got home. It had been one hell of a night.
Tired and stressed, another headache brewing behind my eyeballs, I parked the bike after twenty minutes on the road, in the garage then trudged to the side door. House keys in hand, I yawned, thoughts of my comfy bed in my mind. Inserting the key, I was about to turn it when I heard a rustling noise behind me. I swiveled around—keys positioned between my fingers as a makeshift set of brass knuckles, and scanned the surrounding bushes and shadows.
I sensed somebody or something watched me. Goose bumps rose on my arms and on the back of my neck. “Is someone there?”
Severin stepped out of the shadows, a long-stemmed red rose in one hand and a white Styrofoam box in the other. He smiled. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Yeah, I think you did.” I didn’t lower my hand.
His grin faded. “Something’s changed.” He tilted his head to look at me, his gaze roaming my stance. “I smell fear. Are you afraid of me?”
I shook my head, but I knew it was pointless, he could smell my emotions. He already confessed to that fact.
“I brought you some dessert. I thought I owed you at least that much.” He offered the Styrofoam box.
“What is it?” I asked, still not moving from my spot.
“Rum chocolate cheesecake.”
My resolve softened a little. I loved cheesecake—it was my favorite dessert. But I really hoped he guessed and that he truly didn’t know that fact about me. The knowledge would push him into the obsessive, stalker type of man. I didn’t really want to push him there. I wanted to like him. I wanted liking him to be safe and sane. Not dangerous and foolish.
I took the offered box, and relaxed a little, letting the keys dangle loosely from my fingers. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I glanced at my watch. Only an hour had passed since we parted ways at the restaurant. “You finished your business pretty quickly.”
He shrugged. “Couldn’t concentrate. I had other things on my mind.” He lifted one eyebrow.
His look was one of pure hard hot lust. “Did you really come all this way to give me dessert? Seems a little creepy.”
He smiled again. “Yeah, you got me there.” He moved toward me, a slow easy step. “I didn’t really come to give you dessert.”
The sexy smile put me more at ease. I could feel his presence as he took another step forward. Only three feet away and already I felt the heat of his body caressing mine. I shivered but not because I was cold. “Why then?”
“To give you this.”
I froze when he breached the distance between us and cupped my right cheek. With my three-inch heels on, I was eye-level with him. His eyes looked black in the shadows. But I swore, as he gazed at me, they deepened even more.
Only seconds ticked by but they stretched into an eternity before he moved in to brush his lips against mine. Only the barest of touches but it sent a jolt of pleasure zinging through me. All the way down to the tips of my toes. My legs wobbled and if I hadn’t had valued my dignity, I would’ve dropped right there and then in front of him.
As it was, I used all the reserve I had not to moan.
He leaned back, and then stroked his thumb over my trembling lips.
“Is that it?” I hadn’t meant to say it quite like that, but my mind was in a bit of a fog from his brief kiss.
He chuckled. “Hell no, that’s not it.” His head lowered.
This time, the kiss wasn’t soft or brief. It was a long, thorough sweep of his tongue and lips. I did moan this time, as he nipped at my bottom lip, then traced the tip of his tongue over mine.
He tasted how he looked. Wild. Sexy. Dangerous. Delicious. I could’ve kissed him forever and not ever tire of his flavor.
I dropped both my keys and the dessert and fisted my hands into the fabric of his shirt to hang on as he deepened the kiss. Lips brushed. Tongues lashed. Moans exchanged. The sensation was hot and wet and wonderful. I could’ve feasted on his full mouth all night.
But then something happened.
My skin began to glow. Not a light radiance caught in the rays of the cascading pale moonlight. Nothing romantic like that. No, it was a full-on, from-the-inside-out shi
ne.
Thankfully, I kissed with my eyes open. If I hadn’t, I would’ve missed it when my hands, fisted in the fabric of Severin’s shirt, started to radiate a bright white color. I suppose it wasn’t so much white, as an extremely pale blue-gray. Either way, I knew it was a problem. My chest clenched.
Breaking the kiss, I pushed Severin away and hid my hands behind my back. I prayed under my breath that the rest of my body wasn’t glowing.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m sorry. I feel sick.”
He looked amused. “I’ve never had that reaction before.”
I shook my head. “It’s not you. It must’ve been something I ate earlier.” Bending down, I snatched my keys from the ground and turned toward the door, making damn sure he couldn’t see my hands well.
He moved toward me, stopping to pick up the Styrofoam box. “Here. Let me help you.”
“No,” I blurted. “I can do it. Thanks.” As I struggled to unlock my door, a sudden jolt of pain zigzagged down my spine. The ache was so intense, I gasped.
Severin reached toward me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just need to get inside.” I managed to push open the door, and then stumbled in after it. Severin was right behind me, my dessert and my purse—I hadn’t realized I had dropped it—in his hands.
Another flash of pain rushed down my back. My vertebrae felt like they were snapping off my spinal cord like Lego pieces. Snap. Snap. Snap. Squeezing my eyes shut, I had to gain my balance by grasping the table in the entranceway. God, it hurt like hell. Searing dark pain that made sweat pop out on my upper lip.
Severin rested his hand on my shoulder. “You’re in pain. I can feel it.”
“Please, Severin, just go. I’ll be fine.”
He set the box and my purse on the entrance table. “Nina, I can help you. I come from a very old race, probably older than you realize. We have healing powers.”
I glanced at him then, and saw the concern and honesty in his face. I appreciated it. But this was something no one could help me with. This was from something deeper inside me. My fae side. My mother had warned me years ago that this would happen.
Gritting my teeth from another slash of agony ripping through me, I managed to say, “I appreciate the concern. I really do. But I’m fine.”