Riktor

by Selena Illyria

  The gaze didn’t last long. Much to her disappointment, his attention returned to his meal.

  She let loose a breath she hadn’t realized she’d held. Over the rim of her mug, she continued her perusal. The dark gray suit pants and jacket, the pristine, button-up, white shirt and crimson tie with a matching pocket square made her heart flutter. She had a weakness for well-dressed men. Riktor was dangerous indeed. The clothing emphasized the wide breadth of his shoulders, trim waist, and length of his legs. She wanted to see if he was just as fit as he appeared under all those clothes.

  The spark of arousal returned. She ducked her head and tried to focus on her disappearing coffee. Soon there wouldn’t be any left and then what would she do? She couldn’t just sit there and stare at him until he finished. She needed to explore the resort, figure things out for herself, and plot a way to approach the brothers without raising their hackles. This had to go smoothly.

  A memory of her father’s voice rose up in her mind. “You want to know who you’re dealing with, baby girl? Look ’em in the eye and shake their hand. Or cheat and get a detective.” Her father had guffawed.

  Despite the jesting, in the past she’d taken his advice. It hadn’t failed her yet.

  To distract herself from thoughts of Riktor, she opened her pocket book and took out the brochure on the Black Howl she’d found in a stack of island attraction pamphlets in her room.

  The brochure was impeccably classy and discreet. The club was made up of five floors. The first floor was dedicated to meeting with people, grabbing some snacks and a drink—no alcohol was allowed on the premises—and private rooms for more getting-to-know-you type things. Half the second floor was made up of intimacy suites for couples who needed to revive that spark with the help of three on-hand sex therapists. The other half of the floor was for private erotic movie viewings or readings. The third and fourth floors contained playrooms for more intense activities—spankings, light bondage, or sensory play—and rooms for full scenes, with Dommes and Doms on hand to help and monitor the situation.

  She grabbed her purse and slipped out of the booth. Mickey resisted the urge to take a parting peek at Riktor and made a straight line to the elevators. A ripple of awareness danced on the back of her neck and on her arms when she entered the lobby. She felt the weight of eyes on her from head to toe but kept going until she reached her destination. Mickey pushed the button and waited for something to happen.

  “Hello, Michaela Shaw, or should I call you Mickey?” a man said, his voice a deep rumble next to her ear. His body heat pressed against her side. “What brings you to our little corner of the world?”

  Her heartbeat sped up, and her wolf reared back. Mickey glanced next to her.

  Ace Brody stood next to her wearing a tight Henley shirt with the top two buttons undone, worn jeans, and scuffed up black boots. His dark brown hair rippled down in waves to dust his jaw line. He’d had it shaved close in the most recent picture she’d had of him. Either his hair grew fast, or that visual ID had been an old one.

  Mickey vowed to take that up with Everly. She took a moment to study him. Despite knowing someone had been watching her, she hadn’t detected a shift in the air or scented him or even heard him. Her pulse calmed, her breathing evened out, and she relaxed. No use letting him see her rattled. Bad enough that she’d jumped when confronted by him.

  “Ace Brody, I presume?” she said, breaking the silence between them. She didn’t even attempt a handshake at the moment. She intended to find out what he wanted first, besides scaring the crap out of her.

  He gave her a grin full of bright white teeth and sharp canines. “At your service. You didn’t answer my question. What brings you here? Did Everly kidnap you and drag you far from home to check out your potential inheritance?”

  No emotion or indication of his feelings ghosted over his face.

  Two could play that game.

  “Actually I’m here to escape a New England winter. Why deal with snow drifts when I can sip mimosas and take in the view?” She met his stare, refusing to back down from him.

  Ace frowned. He crossed his arms over his chest, showing off the wall of muscle underneath the thin, tight fabric. “Huh, then why didn’t you register under your own name, and why did Everly check you in?”

  “Because I didn’t want to cause a standoff in the lobby. Brodys don’t exactly want to roll out the welcome wagon for us Shaws.”

  His lips quirked in a quick smile. Ace shrugged. “Well, Shaws aren’t exactly known for their honor or honesty. Why roll out the welcome wagon when we can send you packing and save everyone the stress?”

  She pouted and took a step forward until their toes touched. Mickey tilted her head back to gaze up at him. This close, she could see the small scars and scratch marks over his eye, the corner of his lips, along his jawline, on his neck. Not as handsome as Riktor, but he did have a rugged pull. Just not on her. “Why stress when we can just get along and stay in our own respective lanes? You deal with security, and I’ll deal with enjoying those golden sands, spas, and access to all the macadamia nuts I can eat. Deal?”

  Ace let out a deep, rich laugh. “Touché. Just know I’m keeping my eye on you and I will be letting my brothers know you’re here, as well as Everly’s involvement in this.”

  Mickey shrugged. “Go for it. Nothing to hide. How about we be cordial this once, hmm?” She took a step back and held out her hand. “Shake on it?” She kept her stare leveled on him and waited to see if he would be rude or play the game.

  “Such a cool customer. This should be interesting. Enjoy your stay while you can.” Ace didn’t bother to shake her hand. He brushed past her and headed toward the Employees Only area.

  Rudeness it was.

  She exhaled and turned back to the elevators, fully aware of the eyes on her.

  The doors slid open. She stepped into the lift, pushed the button for her floor, and waited for the elevator to move. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Awareness shot through her of just how many mechanical eyes were on her. She resisted the urge to flip off or blow a kiss to whoever was watching. It wouldn’t do to antagonize the Brodys while on their turf.

  Her phone vibrated in her purse. She ignored it. If it was Everly, he would just have to wait. The shaking phone stopped, only to start up again a few seconds later. She gritted her teeth and willed the damn thing to stop. If it were a family member, she could say that she couldn’t get a signal. If it was Everly, and he had caught the preliminary event, who knows how panicked he could be at the moment.

  The mobile went silent just when the elevator arrived at her floor and the doors slid open. She stepped out and strode toward her room. The phone started up again. She unlocked her door and stepped inside. Once out of observation range, she opened her bag and dug around until she found the damned cell phone and checked her messages. Everly.

  She played the voicemails.

  “Ms. Shaw, please, call me. It’s an emergency.”

  Each message went along those lines.

  She dialed his number. Agitation filled her.

  He answered on the first ring.

  She didn’t give him a chance to even say hello. “You’re a werewolf, act like it! If you’re calling about Ace Brody, we already met. No one ended up bloody, and we behaved ourselves in public. There is nothing to worry about, so stop calling me,” she growled.

  “Ah, I see. It was unfortunate that you two met before you could get a proper feel for the resort, but that’s not the emergency. I have to leave. A client of mine died unexpectedly, and I have to return to the mainland, so I won’t be here to defuse any animosity if the Brodys do confront you. I doubt you’ll need to worry too much about Banan, but Ace and Riktor could present unique challenges. I am sorry about this. Truly. I’ll check in with you tomorrow to see how things are going.”

  She exhaled. “Sorry for biting your head off. I totally understand. Have a safe flight,” she added, even though she didn’t really care one w
ay or the other.

  “Thank you, Ms. Shaw. Good-bye.”

  She returned the phone back to her purse, kicked off her shoes, and headed for the couch, where she flopped down. “I’m alone, in paradise, and I currently want to fuck my rival alpha and punch his brother. Goodie. What else could happen?”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “I don’t need more interruptions,” Riktor muttered to himself.

  “What was that, Rik?” Ace shifted on the couch in Riktor’s office. With casual grace, he tossed macadamia nuts into his mouth.

  Riktor gritted his teeth. The numbers on the screen blurred and his blood pressure spiked. “What the fuck do you want? If you’re not here to help, get out.”

  Ace held up one hand. “Whoa, calm down. I have news, like I said on the phone. You’ll be very interested in it.” He gave him a cat-that-ate-the-cream smile.

  Riktor rolled his eyes and returned his focus to the screen. “If it’s about Everly arriving with some woman, I already know.”

  Ace pouted, but his mirth didn’t fade. “Do you know who she is?” Ace purred.

  Riktor shrugged. “Some Shaw cousin or something.” A knot tightened in the pit of his stomach. Heat flooded his groin. He could still picture her curves wrapped in red, the bounce of curls that surrounded her face like a halo, her dark, mysterious eyes.

  No. I want nothing to do what any Shaw woman, he told himself. His wolf growled in defiance.

  Ace chuckled. “Well, well, well, I can smell your musk. Big brother is horny for Mickey Shaw.”

  Riktor’s temporary fog of arousal disappeared as shock reverberated through his body. His mind went blank. He refocused on Ace. “What was that? Mickey Shaw?”

  No. Mickey Shaw was a man. Or was he? He stared at Ace.

  There had been no pictures of the new Shaw alpha. Sparse information and rumors were all Riktor had to go on.

  “Yup. Michaela Shaw, aka Mickey. Everly brought her here, and yes, the new Shaw alpha is a woman. The old bastard had only fanned the flames with vague talk about his new alpha, never using any gender nouns to describe his heir. He kept his cards real close.” Ace shook his head. “That’s one hell of a secret to keep from the other packs. No wonder he didn’t send her out to any of the International alpha Conferences. Damn. I wonder if Father knew.”

  Riktor absorbed the new information with a sigh. He didn’t have time to truly wrap his head around this revelation.

  “Father knew. It explains why he thought handing over our legacy to her would be a good idea. Stick it to us that a Shaw—and a woman to boot—would be taking our inheritance.”

  Ace shrugged. “I have no problem with women running businesses or packs. It’s sexy as hell. I just don’t want someone taking something that we worked so hard to make a success.”

  “I agree, but Father was old fashioned. He thought women had a place, in the bedroom and kitchen and that’s about it.” Riktor rolled his eyes. “So, how much of a threat is she?”

  “Of course she’s a threat! She’s here to scope out our setup, which is why we need to find women willing to marry us ASAP. Or try and buy her off. Whichever comes first.”

  Riktor shook his head. “I mean is she here to challenge me to an alpha fight? And I highly doubt she could be bought off so easily.”

  “She claims she’s here to avoid a New England winter, and I don’t blame her. A blizzard is moving in as we speak. Other than that—” Ace shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Riktor lifted his head and stared at his brother. “You confronted her without telling me first? What the fuck were you thinking?” Hell, what could Mickey Shaw be thinking of that move? Did she take it as intimidation? A shot across the bow? A loss of control over his beta? The thoughts hit him one after another.

  Maybe he should’ve made Banan his beta.

  Ace straightened up. “Relax. She didn’t strike me as in fight mode. More like curiosity and explore mode. We still have to keep our guard up. We don’t know if that could change. Too bad Everly is fleeing back to the mainland so we can’t confront him just yet. I could break in to her room when she isn’t around. Or stick security on her to monitor her movements.”

  “Let me talk to her first, alpha to alpha.” Beautiful. He didn’t need this new headache right now. “I’m guessing Mickey’s identity was the big message you wanted to tell me when you got in last night?”

  “Yup. A buddy of mine spilled the beans after a few beers. Those in the know are really hot after her, and seeing her up close, I don’t blame them. Too bad she’s not my type.”

  Ace gave him a look that Riktor couldn’t read. He ignored it. “OK, you’ve delivered this piece of news. I’ll meet you at Black Howl for a beer later. Have you told Banan yet?”

  He could only imagine how freaked out his baby brother would be over this news.

  Ace shook his head. “I wanted to tell you first. Our Boy Wonder is sleeping off a heavy gaming session. He did a friend of his a favor and tested a new game last night. Poor kid is exhausted.”

  Riktor sighed. “He’s got to stop letting his gamer friends use him as a guinea pig.”

  “But it’s good money, and yes, they do pay him. Anyway, I’m going to go get BH ready for tonight. I’ll see you later. Thanks for the snacks. Mickey loves these by the way.” Ace put the top on the can of nuts and tossed them toward Riktor.

  He caught the empty canister with ease. “Thanks a lot. And let me talk to her from here on out. Don’t do anything without telling me.”

  “Of course, my great alpha.” Ace chuckled as he stood and headed for the door.

  “We can’t afford a pack war. Also, get some profiles together for prospective wives. I’m not going to let Mickey Shaw get the best of us.” Something tightened in Riktor’s chest at the same time a queasy sensation started in his stomach. His wolf growled.

  Riktor ignored the wolf and his stomach. They had to do whatever it took to beat their father at this sick game and head Mickey Shaw off at the start.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Mickey paced back and forth in front of the television while the international evening news played out on screen. Nervous energy jittered through her body. She didn’t like that Ace had gotten the jump on her or that Everly had hightailed it and run. Emergency or no, he had abandoned her behind enemy lines. Although she didn’t know why she would expect any loyalty from him. After all, he didn’t work for her.

  Her phone rang, and she answered it after the first jangle. “Hi, Ma!”

  “Hey sweetie, just checking in. It’s night here. Snow is coming down hard. Just wanted to hear how nice and warm it is over there,” her mother, Dana Shaw, giggled.

  Mickey dropped down on the couch and grinned. “The sand is so soft, Ma. You would love it. And the breeze is just right. It’s a lovely eighty-five degrees here. Not too hot, but a storm is due to come in a few days.” She paused, smiling. “Are your snow cookies done?”

  Dana chuckled. “Yup and dipped in white chocolate and topped with Snowcap candies. I managed to hide some from your father, but I’m sure he’ll find them sooner or later. Have you eaten yet?”

  Mickey grinned. “Pancakes for dinner. Buttery, light, fluffy, perfect. I’m gonna bring back some chocolates for you. They have an amazing gift shop. I wish you would’ve come with me.”

  “Oh, honey, you know I would love to be there with you, but this was something you needed to do for yourself.” Dana sighed. “It’s been a rough day. I’m winded.”

  Mickey went still. Worry fluttered in her stomach. “Is it a flare up?”

  “A small one, and I’m taking it easy, I promise. Your dad is taking care of me. Is Everly there? I don’t trust him one bit,” Dana sniped.

  Mickey shook her head. “Nice change of subject. No, he left, had an emergency on the mainland, but I’m OK. I promise.”

  “Good.” Dana yawned. “I’m going to go. I’m sleepy. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, OK?”

  “OK, Ma. I love you.”

  �
��I love you too, my little Mickey bean.”

  Mickey chuckled at the use of her mother’s nickname for her. She hung up and carried the phone to the nightstand. Mickey hooked it up to the charger.

  She glanced down at herself, noticing she still wore her outfit for dinner. Time to put her stuff away and change. She opened her suitcases and began putting away her possessions.

  As she worked, her thoughts returned to Riktor and her confrontation with Ace. She could appreciate a little show of force, after all, she was on their territory, and they hadn’t been warned. If the roles had been reversed, she would have sent her brother Trevor to meet and assess Riktor. She just didn’t know where to go from there. Play the tourist or set up a meeting to assure Riktor that she meant no harm? What would Riktor do?

  A knock at her door distracted her from her musings. She got up and headed for the door.

  Mickey peeked through the eyehole. Multi-colored cellophane met her eye. “Yes? I’ve already received the gift basket that I ordered.” A nervous flutter started in the pit of her stomach.

  “Alpha Shaw, this is Alpha Brody here. I’ve come to apologize on behalf of my brother and myself. He was out of line, approaching you on your vacation and shaming me in the process,” Riktor called through the thick slab of wood that separated them.

  The velvety cadence of his voice, even through the barrier, wrapped around her and incited a fire in the pit of her stomach. Riktor had come to visit her. She licked her lips. Her thoughts stalled.

  “Um, what?” she croaked.

  Crap, he’s going to think I’m an idiot! “I mean, hold on a second.” She undid the locks and opened the door. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day.” She gave him what she hoped looked like a small, non-demented werebitch smile.

  He gave her a curt nod. “May I come in?”

  “Of course.” She stepped back from the door.

  When he stepped into the suite, Michaela didn’t miss an opportunity to study him up close and personal. She watched him stride toward the coffee table and bend over. The fabric of his pants pulled tight across his muscular backside. The dark fabric molded to the roundness perfectly.