by Jane Godman
He listened to his messages, frowning as he tried to make sense of them. He still felt this story could be big, but it was a puzzle that was becoming more and more difficult to unravel. He just couldn’t get to the core of it. Remembering that Odessa was the owner of a computer gaming company, he wondered if she might be able to help. In the midst of everything else that was going on, it seemed almost trivial. But, even with invisible watchers, rogue wolf packs and the possibility of Chastel at large, he still had to earn a living.
Odessa was setting bottles of beer, wine, and water on the large table in the center of the kitchen when he approached her. “What do you know about Byte Me?”
She wrinkled her nose. “The gaming channel?” Sebastian nodded. “It’s the most popular online gaming channel, with more than five times as many subscribers as its nearest rival. I think it has about eighty million customers. But I’m guessing you already know the statistics?”
“I wondered if you had any inside information about the two guys who are behind it.”
“I’ve heard some things, but I don’t know them personally, so anything I tell you would just be gossip.” Odessa moved back toward the refrigerator.
Sebastian helped her carry some more bottles. “Gossip is how I get my best stories.”
“Okay. First the facts, about four and a half years ago two college roommates, Sean Chadwick and Philip Fenk, started an online gaming channel called Nerds United. It instantly rocketed to the top slot in the charts, and stayed there. Eighteen months later, Chadwick and Fenk were approached by a multinational gaming company with a ludicrously high offer and they sold their channel, reportedly for billions. Six months ago, they were back in the limelight with a new channel. Byte Me has overtaken the success of Nerds United, and there isn’t a damn thing the company who bought them out can do about it.”
“Because they didn’t include this clause in the contract?” Sebastian asked.
“They did include a clause prohibiting Chadwick and Fenk from starting up a similar channel. But, because technology moved on so rapidly, they were able to exploit a loophole and argue that Byte Me is fundamentally different,” Odessa said. “It may not be ethical, but they haven’t broken the terms of the contract.”
“So they took the money and then left the company with a channel that was worthless by becoming their biggest rival?”
“Essentially, yes.” Odessa had the curiously light blue eyes of a true Siberian werewolf and these were fixed on Sebastian now. “People underestimate the influence of gaming channels. They are huge. Chadwick and Fenk are frequently described in the media as geeks. That may be true, but they are also astute businessmen.”
“What about this rumor that they are using Byte Me to brainwash their subscribers?” Sebastian wondered what Odessa, a computer industry insider, would make of such a wild claim.
To his surprise, her face was serious as she responded. “That story started out because people believed they were somehow coercing their subscribers into buying particular games. The whispers spiraled from there until it turned into a rumor that they were using their online channel to control the minds of anyone who watched it.”
“You don’t think it’s nonsense?” Sebastian scanned her face.
“Remember what Chastel did to me?” Odessa’s face was troubled. She was referring to Chastel’s attempt to reignite the ancient feud between the Arctic and Siberian werewolves. His endeavors had included manipulating photographs of Odessa to make it appear she had carried out acts of environmental sabotage. “I know how easy it is to use technology as a weapon.”
Sebastian felt even more drawn to this story. If Odessa was prepared to be open-minded about the brainwashing angle, he definitely wanted to find out more.
“You said you’d heard some gossip?”
“Not much,” Odessa said. “Only that Byte Me is not a labor of love. Chadwick and Fenk hate each other. They actually can’t bear to be in the same room.”
“That must make for a fun gaming session.” Sebastian had watched some Byte Me videos as research for this story. He hadn’t gotten any sense that Chadwick and Fenk didn’t like each other. On the contrary, their onscreen humor and trickery was what made their channel stand out from the crowd.
Odessa appeared to read his mind. “It may not translate to the screen, but the atmosphere is said to be toxic. And I heard that Chadwick tried to do a deal behind Fenk’s back.”
“What sort of deal?”
“That’s the interesting thing. He went to the company that originally bought them out and offered to shut down Byte Me behind Fenk’s back, but there is no suggestion that he asked for more money.” Odessa shrugged. “Like I said, this is gossip. There’s a good chance it didn’t happen.”
“They didn’t take him up on it?” Sebastian asked.
“Obviously not.”
“There’s one thing that worries me . . . other than the idea that these guys are brainwashing eighty million people through the medium of online gaming.”
Odessa raised her brows. “Surely that’s enough?”
“It is, unless you’re a member of the brotherhood. It’s probably coincidence, but it’s the time line that bothers me. Four and a half years ago, Chadwick and Fenk set up Nerds United. That’s around the time that the brotherhood was fighting and defeating the mighty werewolf god Fenrir. When they were getting their big payout, we were fighting Chastel in the White Mountain Forest. They were starting Byte Me at the same time we were under attack from Chastel and Ivan Joseph, the serial killer who murdered Hendrik. Their key moments tie in with ours.” Sebastian shook his head. “It could be coincidence. If you believe in them.”
Everyone was gathering around the table ready to eat and the conversation was cut short. It was late and he was tired. His biggest problem with the story was that both Chadwick and Fenk were reclusive and refused to give interviews. It was almost impossible to get to speak to either of them.
He had bigger issues to worry about right here and now. Sliding into the seat next to Cindy, he prepared to tell his friends about the invisible watcher and the rogue werewolves. Sebastian resolved to put the matter of Chadwick and Fenk to one side for the time being. Even if he believed in coincidences, there was nothing he could do about it now. And he didn’t believe in coincidences. Most of the time.
* * *
It was almost dawn by the time they were done talking. Although they had analyzed the situation from every possible angle, they didn’t seem to be any closer to a plan. How did you approach an invisible enemy? That was the question they kept coming back to.
“We have to take this fight to Chastel.” Cindy could hear the frustration throbbing through every syllable as Sebastian ground out the words.
“The goddess won’t agree unless we have proof he is behind this.” Wilder could always be relied on to urge caution.
That was where they left it, drifting off to the guest rooms to get some sleep, agreeing to continue the conversation the following day when Madden arrived.
Climbing the stairs to the room she usually occupied when she stayed here felt like scaling a mountain to Cindy. It seemed like a week since she had last slept. As she placed her hand on the knob of the bedroom door, Sebastian caught up with her.
“This is going to sound creepy.”
“Creepier than someone watching me?”
“It’s the same thing.” He looked tired, too. It had been quite a day. Or night. Or both . . . Cindy forced herself to focus on what he was saying. “After everything that’s happened, I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“Oh.” A blush warmed her face. “You think we should share a room?”
He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek. “I meant what I said, Cindy. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life, but we have some talking to do. Right now, we both need to sleep.” His smile, the one that made her knees tremble, appeared. “So, even though it’s going to kill me to wait, that’s what we’ll do.”
I’ll never sleep with him so close.
Her every nerve ending was on high alert at his nearness. A little murmur of surprise left her lips as he drew her closer, pressing her back against his chest, one arm curling possessively around her waist. His erection was a hard ridge pressing into her spine.
“I said we’d wait, but I didn’t say I wasn’t going to torture myself in the meantime.” His voice was a hoarse whisper against her hair.
Cindy was surprised to find she liked this position. It felt safe and warm. And it sent her imagination into overdrive. She was picturing what would happen if they lay this way without the barrier of their clothes as sleep began to darken the edges of her vision and she tumbled headlong into its welcome embrace.
When she woke, winter sunlight was streaming through a gap in the drapes signaling that she had slept for hours. She took a moment to drink in her surroundings. Lowell’s house. Although she was in her usual room, she was in an unfamiliar position. Sprawled across a muscular masculine chest, with her thigh pressed up tight against a very insistent erection.
“Oh!” She lifted her head and encountered Sebastian’s smiling eyes.
“Good afternoon.”
“Really?” She made a halfhearted attempt to move, but he held her in place with one hand in the small of her back. “As late as that?”
“Yes.” His expression became serious. “Now we’ve slept, Cindy, we need to talk.”
She nodded. He was right. They needed to do this. The attraction between them had spiraled out control, fast and furious. If it was ever going any further, she owed him an explanation. “Okay.”
He shifted into a sitting position with his back against the headboard, knees raised and hands clasped loosely between them. Cindy moved to sit at his side.
“Let’s start with the fact that you are not a werewolf.”
She hung her head slightly. “Hendrik and I didn’t intend to deceive anyone. You all made an assumption and it went on too long. We couldn’t find a way to tell you it wasn’t true.”
“You didn’t take his bite?” Sebastian ducked his head to get a closer look at her face.
“We were never lovers. Not even in human form.” She looked him in the eye. “Hendrik was my best friend, but that’s all he was.”
He exhaled long and hard. She wasn’t sure why it mattered so much. Was it some macho thing? She hadn’t thought Sebastian was like that. Maybe all men were. Her experiences had all been about being claimed, treated as property.
She could sense Sebastian’s hesitation before he asked his next question. “Was it because he was a werewolf?”
“Oh, no.” In her haste to reassure him, the words spilled out quickly. How could he think that? Couldn’t he feel how much she burned for him? “We just didn’t feel that way about each other.”
He drew a breath. “Do you feel that way about me?”
“You must know I do.” The husky note was back in her voice again.
“I’m not asking you to take my bite, Cindy. Werewolves can have sex with humans when they are in human form.”
“I know. Hendrik told me all about it. It’s just . . .”
He moved closer, placing an arm around her shoulders. “Are you scared? When I’m in human form I’m just a man.”
“It’s not that.” This time it was Cindy’s turn to draw a steadying breath. “The truth is, I’ve never had consensual sex.”
* * *
Cindy’s words rocked Sebastian as if she’d punched him.
“What do you mean?” God, he sounded like the worst kind of idiot. It was obvious what she was saying. “I’m sorry. I meant, do you want to tell me about it?”
“There isn’t much to tell. I was a seventeen-year-old virgin when I was kidnapped by a biker gang. The leader decided I was going to be his girl. He raped me every night for two years.” Her voice was detached as though she was telling a story about someone she knew. “But I was lucky. I survived.”
A surge of fury powered through him, burning a path through both man and wolf. His inner werewolf wanted to break free and howl in rage before tearing a path of destruction to find the bastard who had done this to her. His human, while sharing his werewolf emotions, managed to stay calm. This wasn’t about him. He had to stay calm for Cindy’s sake. What did she need from him? She had just opened her heart to him. Shared a devastating secret. Masculine posturing wasn’t going to help her.
Her eyes were huge and wary as she watched his face, trying to gauge his reaction. He sensed she was on a knife edge. The wrong move from him and she would bolt. Out of this bed, out of this house, and probably out of his life forever.
He tightened his arm around her, drawing her closer so that her head rested on his shoulder. He felt the tension ease out of her as she leaned into him. They stayed like that for a long time.
“I can’t imagine what you went through, and I don’t have the words to tell you how sorry I am for what you suffered.” Sebastian pressed a kiss to her temple. “But I’m glad you told me. Is there anything you need from me right now?”
“Just this. Holding me. Understanding.” She lifted her head. “And maybe knowing that you do still want me?”
He lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips. “I still want you. That will never change.”
She turned in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Even though I haven’t showered and I’m in yesterday’s clothes?”
He rubbed his nose along her jawline. “I’m a werewolf. That makes you smell even sweeter.” She shivered and he raised his head. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want.”
“I want this. You.”
“You have me.” It was true. She captivated him. Utterly. He had a feeling that would never change.
He shifted their positions so they were lying on their sides, facing each other. “This is for you. We’ll do as much, or as little was you want. Tell me to stop at any time, and I will. Okay?”
Her voice was breathless as she repeated the word: “Okay.”
With his hand at the back of her neck, he pressed his mouth to hers as gently as a sigh. When her lips parted, he caressed them with his tongue. Soft lapping strokes that made Cindy sigh with pleasure. Slowly, he repeated the action inside her mouth and was rewarded when her tongue joined in the dance.
As he kissed her, he stroked the slender column of her neck, feeling the contrast between the roughness of his fingertips and her tender flesh. Although she remained passive beneath his touch, a pulse beat wildly in her neck.
Sebastian broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. “Do you want to keep going?”
“Yes.” There was a quiver in her voice, but he didn’t know if it was caused by nerves or desire.
Easing her onto her back, he smoothed his hands over her upper body from shoulder to abdomen. She trembled slightly, but her gaze stayed on his and he didn’t see any hesitation in the blue depths of her eyes.
“Can I take this off?” He indicated her shirt and she nodded.
Slowly, he undid the buttons, kissing her flesh each time as he parted the material. Soon her arms dropped to her sides and he felt her whole body relax. Gently, he drew the sleeves of the shirt down over her shoulders and along her arms until it was free of her body and he could cast it aside. Cindy shivered as his gaze roamed over her body. She was so beautiful. Pale and slender, her breasts rose and fell sharply against the lacy cups of her bra.
Sebastian placed his hand lightly over one breast, feeling its warm softness and the contrasting hardness of her nipple.
“Can I kiss you here?”
“Please.” The word was barely a sigh as she pushed her breast further into his h
and.
Reaching behind her, he unclasped her bra. Sliding the straps down her arms, he tossed the lacy garment on top of her shirt. Cindy made a move to cover herself, but he caught hold of her hands.
“Don’t hide from me. My God, Cindy. You’re beautiful.” He bent his head and ran his tongue lightly around one candy-pink nipple. “And you taste like heaven.”
A tiny whimper escaped her and he took it to be a sign of encouragement. Lowering his head, he took the rosy bud into his mouth and sucked. Cindy arched her back off the bed with a cry.
He raised his head. “Did I hurt you?”
She made a sound midway between a laugh and a sob. “No, it feels wonderful. Please don’t stop.”
* * *
Was that her voice begging Sebastian not to stop? Taking her at her word, he undid her jeans and slid them down over her hips and thighs, taking her underwear with them. She helped him out by kicking them free of her ankles and feet. Now she was naked and he was fully clothed and it felt delicious.
This is for you. That was what he had said. The words had made her feel nervous and decadent at the same time.
His stubble grazed the inside of her thigh as he held her knees apart and kissed his way up her leg. His breath was warm over her mound and she bit her lip. She was so eager to feel his mouth on her it was driving her crazy. Her breathing was ragged, in time with Sebastian’s. She could sense him taking his time, going slow so she didn’t get scared and she wondered how many other men would keep their own desires in check for her sake.
“I’m going to lick you here.” He ran a finger down the seam of her sex and Cindy almost sobbed at the wildfire of sensation his touch ignited. “Is that okay?”
Is that okay? If her voice hadn’t deserted her, she’d have told him it was more than okay. She’d have told him it was everything she wanted. Everything she needed. Instead, she nodded.
Raised on her elbows, she watched as he pressed his mouth to her. And then she felt his tongue. One long, slow lick all the way along, parting her folds. Cindy stiffened. Every sense went into overload. Her hands came up with a will of their own to grip his hair, as if in fear that he would stop. But, thankfully, there was no stopping him. His tongue glided back and forth along the length of her slit. Long, slow strokes that had her whimpering in pleasure.