The entire bathroom was carved from a darker, almost black, smoky looking rock, but it was beautiful. Past the tub, which sat in the middle of the room, was what could be described best as an open shower. There was a drain in the floor and a shower head in the wall. That was pretty much it.
“I guess you don’t need a shower curtain when everything around you is rock,” Elijah speculated as he examined the shower head.
“I guess not, but how would you explain these?”
Elijah had yet to notice the silver shackles I had indicated with my last words.
“Oh my, God.” He laughed.
I wasn’t sure how to respond other than to laugh with him. Directly beside the shower, firmly affixed to the wall were two long silver shackles that, judging by their height, had been meant to restrain the wrists.
“S&M anyone?” I offered with a laugh.
“Hey, it’s better than that Pear thing,” he pointed out.
“That’s true, but they might chain you up in here and then use The Pear,” I suggested nastily.
Elijah shuddered. “Let’s get out of here.”
Once we were safely back upstairs, he said, “It’s getting late, I guess I should be going.”
Again, I wasn’t sure what to say. I had enjoyed the evening, but Elijah had to go. The fact that I was lonely without Alfred in the house gave me no right to want him to stay.
So, I smiled and said, “I’m glad you came, I had fun.”
As we walked to the front door, he asked, “What are you doing next weekend?”
“I’m seeing you.”
“Really? Is that a prediction of the future?”
“No, I just figured you had something in mind or you wouldn’t have asked.”
The smile he gave me made his eyes sparkle and I almost giggled. You know the giggle I’m talking about. That silly, girlish giggle we all have in high school. It’s the one that comes out involuntarily when the guy you think is gorgeous smiles at you. I hated it when a man could make me unleash that terrible giggle, but I managed to fight it this time.
“When’s the last time you played a board game?” he asked.
Well, I wasn’t expecting that.
“Why, are you board with me?” I responded.
“Wow, that was a really bad joke.” He laughed.
“Yeah, it was. But, to answer your question, it’s been a long time since I played any type of game.”
“Why don’t we get together next Friday night? You can invite Kat, too, if you’re afraid to be alone with me.”
“Afraid? Of what?” I teased.
“You know, not being able to resist me and all,” he joked.
I laughed as I replied, “Actually, I think Kat would enjoy it, but don’t take my inviting her the wrong way.”
“How’s that?”
“I can prevent myself from molesting you if I choose to.”
“Unfortunately.”
After hugging Elijah goodnight, I watched as he drove away. A storm was brewing and I could smell rain in the air. Lightening flashed in the distance as the wind began to pick up, blowing stray leaves past me into the house. Somehow the prospect of going to bed alone didn’t appeal to me at the moment. So, I decided to clean the kitchen instead. After all the dishes were put away, and the remaining wine placed in the fridge, I resigned myself to going to bed.
Normally, I love to sleep and getting me to go to bed has never been a problem. I had not grown accustomed to sleeping with Alfred, but I had gotten used to the idea of having him in the house. I liked knowing that he was around, even if I didn’t see him. I felt safe just knowing he was there.
I hadn’t expected to miss him so much. The past week hadn’t been too bad, because I’d had Mathias to keep me company. But with the journal not speaking to me at the time, I had no one else to talk to. It wasn’t that I had so much to say or that Alfred and I even talked that much before. I just missed having a companion. We could have breakfast together and never speak without the silence being awkward. Not because we were angry, but we could spend time together, even when we didn’t have anything to say.
I had just reached the foot of the stairs when someone rang my doorbell. I froze in mid step with my hand on the banister. No one that I knew rang the doorbell, which meant that whatever was at the door might not be completely human. Why else would they avoid the door knocker? Stepping closer, I strained my ears to hear above the rumble of the thunder, listening for any clue of what was on the other side of the door.
“I know you’re there. Open the door.” It was Marco’s voice, but it lacked his usual smooth appeal. Something was bothering him.
I opened the door. The rain hadn’t started yet, but the promise of moisture hung like a wet kiss on the wind. It seemed appropriate for him to be standing there on my front porch in his faded jeans and tight black t-shirt, his dark hair tousled by the fierce wind.
“Hello, Red.” His voice no longer lacked appeal of any kind, and neither did the rest of him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Don’t believe in foreplay, do you?”
I crossed my arms in frustration as he said, “Fine, but can I at least come in?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Marco.”
“You still don’t trust me.” He sighed.
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t trust myself either.”
“Not really, but it does wonders for my ego.” His smile was wicked. “Are you just going to leave me out here in this weather?” He gestured at the leaves blowing past him.
“Why don’t you have a seat and tell me what you’re doing on my front porch.” I indicated the two white wicker chairs at the corner of the porch that were separated by a small matching table.
The ferns hanging between the columns were taking a real beating so I decided to take them down while motioning Marco in the direction of the chairs.
“Careful, Red. You’re going to hurt my feelings.”
“It’s not your feelings that give me cause for concern,” I said, moving the ferns close to the door so they wouldn’t blow away.
His laugh was a sensual, masculine sound that caused me to shiver in response.
“And what do I have that concerns you?” he asked.
Making my way back to where he sat, I replied, “Let’s not go there.”
“So, what did you think of the journal? Fascinating read, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, but ... I have to ask, what did it say to you?”
“Well, first it told me in no uncertain terms that the journal was to come to you.”
“I take that to mean you don’t expect me to return it?”
“No.” He smiled. “Borrow was the wrong choice of words. He meant for it to be yours.”
“What else did he say?” I prompted.
Marco grew more serious as he responded. “He said that what he would eventually share with you would never be seen by another living soul, no matter how many times they read his journal. So, I read his life’s story, his day to day activities, without hint or detail of how he accomplished ... anything. But, I got to know him and you through what he said. Mathias was a good person. He was kind, but he didn’t want everyone to know it.” He paused, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
“The more I get to know you, the more I realize how alike you and Mathias are. And thanks to his journal, I know him very well. I would say that he has unknowingly given me an insight into you, but I don’t believe that man did anything unknowingly.”
“I agree.” I turned in my chair so I could face him. “Are you saying that’s how you seem to know me so well, from reading Mathias’ journal?”
“Yes. I don’t think you appreciate how similar you are.”
“And I think the only thing you appreciate is how powerful he was.”
“What are you suggesting, Red?”
“I’m suggesting that the only reason you offered me the position of kulin is because you want
to use the power that has been given to me to dominate the wolves.”
He laughed, but it was a bitter and wicked sound.
“Is that what you think of me?” His voice became a growl as he continued, “I already dominate the wolves. I do not need the power of The Seducer to control my people.”
“Then why?”
Marco rose from his chair and began to pace. The storm blowing around us seemed to match his mood as he stalked up and down the porch like a tiger in a cage.
“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I just like you?”
“Not really. I don’t believe you like anyone enough to share your power.”
“And I believe that you are overconfident in yours.” His voice rumbled like the coming thunder as his eyes faded to amber.
“Don’t threaten me, Marco.” My voice was a deadly whisper that carried on the wind.
He snarled, baring his teeth slightly as a wolfish growl escaped his human throat. Somehow, I was not frightened by his threat. If anything I was irritated by it because I knew that Marco had no intention of hurting me. Everything about him promised violence, his stance, the way his muscles tensed in response to my voice, and his wild eyes. I should have been afraid of the sheer size of him compared to me, but I wasn’t. Something in the way he had touched me during our last encounter let me know he wouldn’t harm me. I couldn’t explain it. I just knew that it was not the norm for the alpha male to nuzzle against someone’s thigh.
Slowly, I rose from my chair, moving toward him intent on making my moves as graceful as a cat as I felt that door in my mind open. That sensual switch had been flipped, and I intended to use it.
“You may huff and puff, Marco, but this storm is more likely to blow me down.” I placed my hand on his chest and he growled at me again.
His skin was not feverish beneath his thin shirt like before. The full moon had passed earlier in the week, but he was still warm and his muscles were firm beneath my touch.
“Careful, Red, you go too far.”
The wind blew over us, sending Marco’s scent across me like a wave.
“I don’t think so.” I sighed.
His eyes slowly faded back into a chocolate brown as he responded disappointedly, “I never should have submitted to you, now I can’t even manage a decent threat.”
“Submitted to me?”
“Don’t pretend not to know the significance of my actions.” His tone was no longer threatening, but his tense posture hadn’t changed.
“I really don’t,” I answered, letting the power fade from my voice. No need to pull out the big guns if no one was opening fire.
“How can you hunt something for so many years and not understand it?”
“I’m not a member of the pack, remember? I understand as best I can not being allowed on the inside.”
Marco sighed as he reached for me. After the way he had just threatened me, I shouldn’t have let him touch me, but I did. He placed his hands gently above my elbows, massaging the muscles of my biceps. I watched as the tension drained out of him, like pouring water from a glass.
“When I laid my head in your lap, that was not a gesture an alpha normally makes.” He didn’t make eye contact when he admitted this, which was a gesture that I knew alphas didn’t normally make. You could always tell if a werewolf was dominant, based on whether or not they would meet your eyes.
“I figured as much,” I said.
He looked in my eyes as he continued, “I submitted myself to you and by the way you touched me, you accepted my submission.”
I’m sure he could tell by the look on my face that I needed some clarification of the term “accepted.”
“That doesn’t mean that you have accepted my offer to be kulin. It means that you accepted the gesture as a sign of respect.”
At the time, I had been moved by Marco nuzzling against my thigh. That was why I’d stroked his hair. I felt that some response was necessary on my part, and I’d wanted to comfort him. His hands against my bare skin seemed more intimate than it should and where my palm rested against his chest, I felt his heart beat faster.
He could have torn me apart any time he wanted to and somehow that uncertainty excited me. Marco wasn’t the only one attracted to power. The thought of someone submitting to me when they could just as easily have killed me was a rush. It was erotic to me in a way that I could not describe. His hands massaged when they could have destroyed and with that simple touch sent a fire through my veins.
“Don’t reject me now, Red. Not when I’ve come to warn you.”
“I wasn’t planning on taking back my actions,” I said softly as I brushed my hand absently across his chest. Without realizing what I was doing, I traced the contours of his muscles beneath the thin cotton.
“A little to the left,” he whispered as he leaned in to brush against my face.
“What is?” I asked, unable to control the urge to rub my cheek against his.
I was enjoying the way his late evening stubble felt against the smoothness of my skin when he replied, “My nipple.”
I pulled back to see his face and he was smiling.
“I heard about Bade,” he explained. “Bastard had it coming.”
“You liked that, did you? Now, what did you say about a warning?”
Marco looked serious again as he explained. “Remember when I told you that there were members of my pack that were upset about my actions?”
“You mean your offer to me?”
“Yes.” He paused as if unsure of how to proceed. “Some of the female members are threatening to attack you in retaliation for not being allowed to compete openly for the position.”
This surprised me. “But, I haven’t accepted anything.”
“Maybe not, but you killed the alpha female, which makes the position of kulin ... and me, yours for the taking.” Something about the way he said those last few words made the muscles low in my stomach clench in response.
“Are you telling me that you have no say in the matter?”
“Of course not, but if a female were to fight her way to the top, I’d have to have an awfully good reason to refuse her.”
“How about because you don’t want her?” Anger blazed in my voice.
“You are jealous of me, aren’t you, Red?” He smiled, obviously enjoying my response.
“I’m serious, Marco. You can’t honestly tell me that the wolf king has no say in who he mates with. That’s ridiculous! You’re the king. That should count for something.”
“It does. If I’m truly opposed to the idea of mating for whatever reason, she can serve as alpha female until she is challenged and defeated. But she will not truly be kulin unless she is my mate.”
“I see. Did you make up that rule to prevent ugly women from becoming queen?”
He laughed, but there was an underlying threat in his voice. “You have no idea how much you get away with, do you?”
“Apparently not.”
“It’s the reason many of them hate you. Even the former alpha, though she was at one time my mate, was not allowed to treat me the way that you do.”
“How would any of them know how I treat you?” I sounded paranoid, even to myself.
“People are always watching, Red.” His smile returned. “No one has ever been allowed to touch me.” He tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “Or to put my desires on hold the way that you do.”
“It’s not healthy to get everything you want,” I retaliated.
He laughed softly. “I agree, but there are some things worthy of persistence.”
“That’s sweet, but I don’t cave under pressure.”
“I’m not here to pressure you, Red. I want to protect you.” There was a tenderness in his voice I hadn’t expected.
Marco wrapped his arms around me, cradling my head against his chest. I was at a loss for words. The man I had been taught for so long was my enemy wanted to protect me. Confusion was too mild a term for what I felt. Part of me wanted nothing m
ore than to accept his offer, even though I wasn’t sure what I was being protected from. I kept thinking that there must be a reason behind his offer other than any personal feelings he might have for me, but I couldn’t think of any.
Honestly, with Marco that close I couldn’t think of anything. So, I let him hold me for a while as the storm raged around us. The first few drops of rain began to hit the trees with a soft hissing sound. It was almost like the wind was whispering, “Ssssshhhhh.”
My voice was barely audible when I finally spoke with my face still pressed against him, “I can’t accept your protection, Marco.”
“Why?” He sounded hurt.
I pulled back enough to look at him.
“Because I’m not yours to protect.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Damn it,” he said hotly. “I knew you’d say that.”
He pulled back, running his fingers through his dark hair in frustration. This movement only succeeded in flexing his biceps enough to distract me. I had difficulty thinking clearly when I was that close to Marco, so I took a step back.
“Is it because of who I am, or what I am, or just because you’re too stubborn to admit you might need help?”
His last comment chapped my ass enough to inspire a nasty reaction.
“Did anyone tell you how I killed Julie?” My voice had a deadly edge to it, like a snake about to strike.
“No,” he answered, and wasn’t able to meet my eyes.
As I continued I knew that I should stop, that I was being deliberately cruel, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. “Well, I’ll tell you. I flung her like a ragdoll, until her bones cracked and her hair fell out in chunks.” I cracked my knuckles to emphasize my last words. “And then, when she was so broken that she couldn’t move, I broke her neck.”
For a moment Marco looked like he was going to be sick and I asked a question that I had no right to ask. “Did you love her?”
I could scarcely believe I had said the words out loud. It was none of my business, and it would have served me right if he’d said so. Instead, Marco met my eyes without hesitation and replied, “No, but I knew her for a long time. It’s just difficult to hear.”
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