by Sky Winters
"We should get back inside, though. I told your parents I'd calm you down."
"I wouldn't say I'm exactly ‘calm' right now," Grace said.
Corvo smirked as he opened the door to the balcony. Grace knew she shouldn't make the temptation any harder for him to resist, but she couldn't help it. Now that she'd seen the power she had over him, that ability to make him lose control and give into the dragon within, all she wanted was to bring it out over and over.
A crafty smile on her face, Grace thought about just what she really wanted.
***
"Alright, we're off," said Cassius, adjusting his tie in front of the mirror hanging near the elevator doors.
Looking up from her phone, Grace watched as her mother, dressed in smart eveningwear, hurried to Cassius' side, her clutch held close to her body.
"What's the plan?" asked Grace.
"We're going out for dinner," said Cassius. "Meeting with some of the elders; trying to get all of this madness sorted out."
Grace nodded in understanding. There'd been news earlier in the day that another wolf from one of the wealthier families in town had been kidnapped – this time, the son of one of the elder families. Things were getting tense, and Grace found herself hoping her parents would be safe.
"Goodbye, darling," said Cassius, giving Grace a kiss on the top of her head. "Corvo, keep a close eye on her."
"Will do," said Corvo from where he sat on the other side of the room.
Then the elevator doors opened and her parents were gone.
"I can't believe this," said Grace, shaking her head. "Wolves getting kidnapped off the streets."
She curled herself into a tight ball on the couch. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Corvo stood up and took a seat next to her.
"It's gonna be fine," he said, his voice low and comforting. "Just need to keep your head down until this all blows over."
Grace turned, losing herself instantly in Corvo's green eyes. Just like last night, she felt herself calm in his presence. She felt safe near him, and without thinking, she placed her head on his shoulder. She listened to his heartbeat, feeling her tension ease by the moment.
Then, Corvo slipped his finger under her chin and tilted her head up.
Well, that didn't take long was Grace's last thought before he planted his lips on hers, falling into his kiss that very moment.
CHAPTER 5
The rest of the week flew by, and soon, it was the night of Grace and Marlon's date. Corvo sat on the edge of the bed in the room that the Holidays had given him. The past few days had been a wild whirlwind of lovemaking and secret-keeping. He and Grace had been all over each other, and each time they finished, their bodies limp with pleasure in each other's arms as they regained their breath, Corvo swore it would be the last time.
But it never was.
And now, he was going to have to escort Grace out to dinner with Marlon; he knew tensions would be running high. Checking his watch, he saw that it was nearly time to leave. He rose from the bed and took a look at himself in the mirror. He was dressed in a black suit with a gray tie, a nice outfit that the Holidays had tailored especially for him. Corvo always had enough money from his work with the Silver Talons, but he still hadn't gotten used to seeing how easily a family like the Holidays threw around their cash.
Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he stepped out into the living room where Grace awaited. She was wearing a black cocktail dress that hugged her ample curves, her blonde hair done in a fetching up-do. Corvo wanted to eat her up right then and there.
"You look nice," said Corvo, knowing he was making the understatement of the century.
"Thanks," said Grace. "Just ready to get this over with."
They headed down to the lobby, and after a quick trip across town in her parents’ limo, the two of them arrived at the Midtown skyscraper where the restaurant was located.
"You gonna be joining us?" asked Grace.
"Not a chance," said Corvo. "Gonna let you have Marlon all to yourself."
"Funny, that's exactly what my parents want."
Corvo hated to admit it, but he was a little envious of Marlon. What Corvo and Grace had would be a scandal if it were to be revealed, and here was a little prick like Marlon being given the go-ahead by both his parents and Grace's. Corvo put the thought out of his head as best he could; he wanted to make sure he didn't catch any feelings before this mission was over, but he knew that thoughts like this made it clear that it wasn't going to be so easy.
They stepped into the elegant dining room of Claude's, the tall windows affording an incredible, sweeping view of the entire city.
"There's my lovely date," said Marlon, stepping out from the bar, his arms outstretched.
He embraced Grace and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Corvo had to suppress a smirk at how obvious it was that Grace wanted nothing less than Marlon's hands on her.
"I see you brought your muscle," said Marlon, his eyes flicking up and down Corvo in a judgmental manner.
"Don't be an asshole," said Grace. "Corvo's keeping me safe. Isn't that what you want?"
"I suppose," said Marlon. "But don't tell me that he'll be sitting at the table with us. I'd die if that were the case."
"Don't worry, kiddo," said Corvo. "I'll be keeping my distance."
"Good," said Marlon. "Then let's get to it."
Marlon placed his hand on the small of Grace's back as he led her toward their table. She responded by looking over her shoulder and raising her eyebrows in a "help me!" expression. Corvo chuckled to himself and took position near the entrance.
He settled in, preparing for a boring evening. For a time, he watched as Grace and Marlon chatted, and he amused himself by watching the body language of the two, imagining just how the conversation was going.
But as time passed, Corvo noticed something. It was as a strange smell, more intense than the wolf scent of Marlon and Grace and not at all the scent of the humans around them. Corvo narrowed his eyes, focusing on his surroundings. Something struck him as off, and as much as he wanted to chalk it up to him being paranoid, he knew he was too well-trained to have false alarms like this.
Scanning the dining room, he spotted a man in an expensive suit sitting at a table alone. As Corvo watched him, he noticed the man look up from the tablet he was reading and cast a glance in the direction Marlon and Grace's table. Then he did it again, then again.
Corvo's attention then flicked to the bar, where he noticed another man, similarly dressed, doing his best to steal glances at Grace without looking too conspicuous.
This was all Corvo needed to see; something was up.
Squaring his shoulders, he made his way to the bar and took a seat next to the suspicious man seated there. He was a trim man, with sharp features, a black goatee, and dark hair swept back. The smell that Corvo had noticed increased in intensity as soon as he slid into the chair, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a nervous glance from the man.
"Nice night," said Corvo to the man before waving down the bartender. "Gin and tonic, please."
The bartender nodded and set to work on the drink.
"Yeah, sure is," said the man, taking a sip of his cocktail.
"Just grabbing a drink after work or something?" asked Corvo.
"Something like that," said the man.
Corvo could tell that he wasn't in the mood for conversation, which meant that the suspicions he had might very well be true.
"My name's Stefan, by the way," said Corvo, extending his hand.
"Uh, I'm Clyde."
The man took Corvo's hand and shook it. Corvo knew right away by the man's awkward tone that he'd also made up a lame alias on the spot.
"Nice to meet you, Clyde."
Clyde simply grunted.
"I think you and I are on the same wavelength," said Corvo. "Long-ass day at the office, then swinging by a bar with a nice view to take the edge off and people-watch a little bit."
"Sure."<
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Corvo glanced over at the other man seated at the table, and the two of them made brief eye contact.
"Just got divorced a few months ago," said Corvo. "Got it finalized that is. And Lord in heaven, I'd forgotten about the ass you can find in this city."
The man shot Corvo a quick look, and Corvo could tell that he wanted nothing more than for his unwanted interlocutor to finish his drink so he could get back to his surveillance.
"Check out that redhead over in the corner," said Corvo, pointing toward a lovely young woman with copper-colored hair and a comely figure. "I'm thinking of finishing this drink and seeing what's up, you know? Girls like that, you just gotta flash a little cash and they're all over you."
"I bet," said the man.
Corvo decided to drop the sleaze routine and cut to the chase.
"I bet you're more into the blondes, though," he said. "I bet you've got your eye on that one, right there."
His drink in his hand, Corvo pointed at Grace, who was currently looking as bored as can be in the middle of a conversation with Marlon.
"Huh?" asked Clyde, now flustered. "Why her?"
"Just looks like you've had your eye on her, is all. I've been watching you watch her for the last fifteen minutes. Either you're smitten, or there's something else going on."
Corvo watched as the man seated at the table rose and began approaching them. He knew right then that the gig was up.
"And what business is it of yours who I'm lookin' at?"
"Because when you're getting paid by her parents to make sure that nothing happens to her, some strange asshole and his friend watching her is just the kind of thing that becomes my business."
Then Corvo narrowed his eyes.
"Wolf."
Clyde sniffed the air.
"Wait a fucking minute," he exclaimed. "You're a shifter. But…what the hell are you?"
"Come with me and you'll find out," said Corvo.
Before another word could be said, however, Corvo felt the firm clap of a hand on his shoulder.
"Who the fuck are you, asshole?" said the man behind him, his voice booming.
"I'm the guy who's gonna cause a shitload of trouble for you both unless you tell me who the hell you are, who you're working for, and why you're spying on my client."
Both of the men let out dry laughs.
"I got a better idea," said the man behind him. "How about I put a silenced round right into your heart and we can see how long it takes before anyone here notices you're a fucking dead man."
Corvo felt something hard press into the upper-center of his back.
"You guys just had to do this the hard way, huh?"
In a quick motion, Corvo clenched his hand into a fist, pulled it forward and drove his elbow back as hard as he could into the man's stomach. He felt the heavy gust of air rushing out of his lungs followed by the sound of the man dropping to his knees. The pistol hit the floor with a clatter and Corvo dove out of his seat to grab it. Once it was in his hand, he pointed it under the bar at Clyde, who watched the action with wide eyes and a mouth slightly open.
"Now," said Corvo, looking around and seeing that no one had noticed the commotion at the bar. "Let's try this again. Who are you, and who the fuck are you working for?"
Corvo watched as the men exchanged a quick look before Clyde grabbed his drink and tossed it in Corvo's face.
"Ah, shit!" said Corvo, the alcohol burning his eyes.
"Let's go!" shouted Clyde.
The two wolves rushed away from the bar and toward the entrance.
"Shit!" Corvo hissed, furious at himself for falling for such a stupid move.
He wiped the booze out of his eyes and turned toward the exit just in time to see the two wolves burst past the hostess stand and out the entrance. Shoving the gun into his suit jacket pocket, he ran over to Grace, who watched him approach with a bemused expression.
"Stay put," he said. "Don't move an inch from this chair."
"Why? What's going on?" asked Marlon in a haughty, demanding tone.
"That goes for you too, fancy boy," said Corvo. "No time to explain. Just do it!"
With that, Corvo darted across the dining room, weaving around the restaurant patrons and chasing after Clyde and his friend. Corvo reached the dimly-lit hallway, hearing the heavy metal clank of a stairwell door down the end of the hall. The scent of wolf was strong in the air, and Corvo followed it closely, sniffing the air intermittently to make sure he was on the right track.
He pulled open the door to the emergency stairwell door, craning his head up toward the sound of dress shoes on steel stairs. Spotting the two figures making their way up, Corvo opened his mouth to yell out a warning. Before he could say anything, however, a sharp crack followed by a loud pang sounded out – the unmistakable sound of gunfire. Corvo took cover as he aimed up with his pistol. He couldn't angle a clear shot, however, and decided it would be better to give chase.
Corvo hurried up the winding stairs, occasionally catching sight of the wolves several floors above him. As he ran, he couldn't help but wonder just why they were heading up, rather than down. Either they made a mistake, or they had an escape plan in mind that Corvo couldn't imagine. Or they were suicidal.
Taking cover from a few more pistol shots, Corvo watched as the men kicked down the door leading to the roof, a rush of cool air tunneling down the stairwell. Once on the top floor, he heard the sound of a door opening below him. Glancing down, he saw a flash of blonde hair. He cursed silently, realizing right away that it was Grace.
"Stay down there!" shouted Corvo, his already deep voice booming with the echo.
"No way!" returned Grace.
Corvo knew he didn't have time to run down and scold her, instead choosing to run out onto the roof. Stepping out, he turned in place, looking around for his prey. The view of the city around him was stunning, but he didn't have time to appreciate it.
Finally, he caught sight of one of the men at the edge of the roof, his suit jacket blowing around his slim body.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" shouted Corvo. "You gonna kill yourself over this?"
The man turned, a wicked grin on his face. Before Corvo had a chance to react, the man shifted into his wolf form, turned, and leaped off the side of the building.
"Shit!" hissed Corvo.
He sprinted over to the ledge just in time to see the wolf land on the rooftop of the building across the street, his paws scrambling on the concrete for a moment before he regained his footing and took off. Corvo sized up the jump and realized quickly that it was too far of a leap for human form. He glanced quickly around him at the office buildings surrounding the rooftop, and clenched his fists. Too many potential witnesses for him to shift into his dragon form and give pursuit.
A snarling cut through his thoughts and Corvo turned on his heels. The second wolf leaped through the air toward him, a ravenous growl on the beast's face[LR2], his knife-sharp teeth catching the silver of the moonlight. Corvo raised his arms to brace for the impact. Then, the shape of another wolf arced through the air, slamming into the wolf pouncing toward him. Both wolves collided and a canine grunt sounded in the air as the two wolves began clawing and snapping at each other in a wild tussle.
It took Corvo a moment to realize what was happening. Just as he did, he saw that the wolf that had been about to pounce on him was quickly gaining the upper hand in the fight, and it would only be a matter of time before he prevailed. Corvo waited for his chance before dashing into the fray, reaching toward the first wolf, grabbing it by the scruff of the neck, and tossing it against the wall of the stairwell. The wolf let out a whimper as it struggled to its feet.
"Who the fuck are you?" demanded Corvo, still ready for a fight.
The wolf, just like the other, however, wasn't in the mood to answer questions. Still staggering, it hurried to the other ledge of the building, backed up ungracefully, and went into a running leap. Corvo watched the beast arc through the air toward one of
the adjacent buildings. But this wolf was too injured to make the leap. Corvo hurried to the ledge just in time to see the wolf careen toward the street below, hit the pavement with a sick thud, and shift back into his human form. Corvo winced.
Turning, he laid eyes on the wolf that had jumped into the fight.
"Stupid move!" he shouted. "You know what kind of danger you were in? You know what those wolves wanted, right?"
The wolf curled up into a tight ball, whimpering slightly. Corvo couldn't help but notice that with her striking silver fur and ice-blue eyes, Grace was just as striking in her wolf form as she was as a human.
"Shift," commanded Corvo. "Let me get a look at you."
Corvo glanced over the ledge one last time as Grace complied. A dozen or so people had gathered around the body of the shifter, and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before the cops checked out the rooftop to see if there had been any foul play. Corvo didn't intend to be here when that happened.
He turned and laid eyes on Grace, who was clearly shaken by what had happened.
"You okay?" he asked, looking her over.
"Fine," she said, sweeping her hair out of her face. "Just…never really been in a fight like that before."
"Fighting's for men like me," said Corvo. "Men who actually know how to do it. Don't ever put yourself at risk like that again."
"But…I saved you!" exclaimed Grace, her stunning eyes dinner-plate wide.
"I would've been fine," said Corvo, his voice razor-sharp. "One dragon against one wolf isn't even a fight. You, on the other hand…I don't even want to think about it. One lucky bite on your neck and that'd be it."
He placed his hands on Grace's slim shoulders. His heart pounded, and he realized it wasn't from the fight – it was fear at the idea of something happening to Grace. Corvo understood then that his desire to protect her and keep her safe went beyond simply the requirements of the job – there was something more.
"Just…just gotta make sure nothing happens to you," said Corvo as Grace looked up at him.
The urge to kiss her overcame him, and he found himself slipping his hand onto the nape of her neck and leaning in. Grace's lips opened slightly, expectantly.