by Lola Taylor
Nik caressed her cheek. “Just be Alara. That’s all I’ll ever ask or want from you.”
She caught his hand, twining her fingers with his. “What if Alara isn’t enough?”
Nik smiled. “It is for me.”
They’d lain like that for a while, just talking. Eventually, they both dozed off, but Alara couldn’t sleep. Too many things weighed on her mind. She slipped out of bed and found someone had left a change of clothes in the hallway, by the door. There were two outfits, one for Nik and one for her. She blushed, wondering if whoever had dropped them off had swung by earlier when she and Nik were being intimate with one another. Picking up the clothes—and a bag of microwavable food that had been left with the clothes—she carted them inside and changed. She was starving but didn’t want to wake Nik. So she took the dinner and bottle of water and went to the dining room.
The TV was on, as were the lights. Alara wondered who could be there at this hour when she rounded the corner and saw Danica sitting at a table alone, eating a bowl of cereal. She looked up as Alara approached and smiled. “Good. I’m glad you saw the clothes.”
“So you were the one who dropped them off. Thanks.” She popped her food in the microwave and set it for two minutes before sitting down. “I hope we weren’t too loud.”
Danica raised a brow. “Did something happen?”
Alara flushed. “Er—”
Danica laughed. “It’s okay. You don’t have to go into details. I totally understand. Besides, it’s none of my business.”
Alara crossed her arms and looked away, nibbling on her lip. She thought about the upcoming Blood Moon and what that meant for her and Nik. It would be nice to talk to another girl about it, especially someone who had been in the same boat not too long ago. Thing is, she didn’t exactly know where to start. She’d never had a close girlfriend before. Izzy was the one who made friends easily, not her.
She studied Danica, trying to decide how to ask what was on her mind. Danica seemed nice enough. She had a kind look to her eyes, just like her sister did. She wrung the hem of her shirt. “How can you know you love him?” she blurted.
“Who? Gage?”
Alara nodded.
Danica sighed. “To be honest, it wasn’t love at first, but there was a strong attraction and a rightness in being with him I’d never felt before. For someone who’s been alone most of her life, that was enough. It felt wonderful. So I decided to stay and figured love would come later.” She smiled. “And it did.”
Alara thought about that. She had no idea what being in love felt like. Did she love Nik? She didn’t think so, but she definitely liked him. Okay, well, more than “liked him.” The thought of leaving him made her stomach turn.
The microwave chimed and she retrieved her dinner. It was steamed veggies, fruit cocktail, and chicken with some kind of glaze. For a nuked dinner, it didn’t taste all that bad. At this time, she was so hungry a granola bar would have been divine.
“You scared about the mating ceremony?” Danica asked after a while.
Alara chewed on her food thoughtfully. “It’s just, I’ve never been that close to anyone before. I mean, other than my sister, Izzy. I don’t want to screw it up.”
Danica smiled sadly. “I can relate. Well, do you like Nik?”
“Yes!” Alara blurted, then blushed harder.
“That’s definitely a start,” Danica said with a grin. “I can tell you from personal experience he’s a great guy. I mean, I haven’t been romantically involved with him or anything,” she added quickly. “All that stuff Jason said might be true for the old Nik, but I also know for a fact that his past track record says he’ll treat a woman right when he does get in a serious relationship.”
So he had been involved with someone before. A wave of jealousy rolled through Alara, which was silly. Of course someone like him had had a girlfriend before. Alara wondered how she compared to her. She bet she was skinnier than her, and beautiful. Alara slumped in her seat, feeling more depressed than ever.
Danica watched her carefully. “We can’t help who we were in our past,” she said. “All we can do is try to be the best versions of ourselves now.” She rose. “For what it’s worth, I hope you make the right decision for you.”
She smiled and walked off.
Alara sat there for a moment, mulling everything over. What did she want? Did she even have a clue what the best decision for her was?
She strongly desired Nik. That much she was sure of. But could lust and like eventually evolve into love?
She shook her head. Of course it could. That’s how the majority of relationships started. Two strangers meet, are attracted to one another, and sometimes if they spend enough time together, that attraction evolves into love.
The thought of leaving home forever made her a bit homesick. Castle Crescent was all she’d ever known. What if there was something better waiting around the corner, in a room a few doors down the hall? Wouldn’t she be a fool to pass that chance up and not see where it led?
There was the risk she and Nik might not fall in love. He might even break her heart, much as she didn’t want to admit it. If she stayed with her old pack, though, she was doomed to a life she didn’t want. She could end up miserable either way. In each scenario, she was gambling with her heart.
And more cards were stacked in her favor with Nik. She wanted to stay with him; she knew that without really thinking about it. The way he held her, the way he made her feel, as if she was beautiful and invincible…. No one had ever made her feel like that before, not even Izzy. Who wouldn’t want to hang on to that?
More importantly, she had to ask herself: Could she walk away from him or her crown? Could she have both? Would Nik want to be king? She needed to talk this through with him.
Finishing off her dinner, she rose from her seat and went back to their room.
Nik woke up and didn’t see Alara. “Alara?” He sat up, looking around. Fear for her made his heart start racing.
You’re freaking out over nothing, he assured himself as he got out of bed. She probably just went to find the snack machine.
But what if it wasn’t nothing? What if something had happened to her? Or worse, what if she’d decided she didn’t want to be with him after all and had called up her knight-in-shining-armor Gerard to come get her?
He growled, shaking his head. “Stop being so paranoid,” he told himself. “Just go find her, you pussy.”
A bag sat on the luggage table. Thank God. Someone had the foresight to bring them clothes. A cheap T-shirt and jeans that were a little snug were inside, along with some clean socks and some knock-off brand sneakers. He didn’t care if someone had found them in a Dumpster at this point so long as they were dry and clean.
Nik tugged off his tuxedo pants and dress shirt and dressed in the change of clothes. Not a perfect fit, but whatever. He started to walk out the door when he spied his pack of cigarettes lying on the table. He stared at them, blinking once, then picked them up and stuffed them in his pocket. Surprisingly, he hadn’t craved a cigarette since meeting Alara.
He grinned. Maybe she was bringing out the best in him already.
Lacing up and tying his shoes, he went off in search of his mate.
He smiled to himself. Look at that. You’re already thinking of her as your mate.
He was falling dangerously fast for this woman. He just hoped he didn’t crash and burn.
Voices drifted to him from the dining room. He peered around the corner, seeing his Alara sitting there with Danica. The two seemed to be deep in conversation. Not wanting to invade their privacy—because he couldn’t stand when people did it to him—he decided to leave them be and seek out Gage.
Where are you?
Gage responded right away. In my room. Everything all right?
Yeah. Mind if I stop by?
Sure.
Gage told him his room number, and a moment later, Nik found it and was standing inside his doorway.
Nik paced
restlessly. “I’m screwed. It’s happening again.”
Gage watched him from the bed with interest, flipping the TV off. “What is? You being an ass again?”
Nik gave him a pointed look. “No. I think I’m falling for her.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
Nik growled a frustrated sigh. “It’s not like with you and Danica. You haven’t had your hearts broken before.”
Gage frowned. “We’ve both had people walk out on us. Don’t pretend for a second like you’re any more wounded than anyone else.”
“Sorry,” Nik muttered sheepishly. “It’s just, I don’t know what to do. My whole life as a werewolf, I’ve dreaded this day. Avoided it, even. After Verika… I was prepared to walk away from the Mark and spend my days alone. Never falling in love again sounded like a dream.”
“But…?”
Nik stopped, running a hand over his face as he thought. “I didn’t expect to find someone like her. I can’t possibly be that lucky.”
Gage sighed. “You know what I think? I think you’re just looking for excuses to screw things up. That way you don’t have to get close to her and you don’t risk getting hurt.”
Nik scowled at the floor. “Maybe.”
Gage was silent a moment. “I think this Mark is the best thing that could have happened to you.” When Nik laughed, he said, “No, listen. I’m serious. You look more alive when you’re around her. You’ve always had this shield of bravado up. I knew it was just a mask. You never talked about how Verika leaving you had hurt you, but I could see the pain in your eyes, see the weight of your sorrow in your posture. Now, it’s like the real you is shining through. I can see my brother again.”
Nik stared at Gage, unsure what to say.
Gage stood and grasped his brother’s shoulders, smiling wryly. “Falling in love doesn’t make you weak. If anything, when you find the right person for you, it makes you stronger. You support each other. That’s how it’s supposed to work.”
“She’ll get tired of my bullshit,” Nik said, fear creeping into his heart all over again. Briefly, an image—a nightmare—flickered through his mind. It involved him watching Alara walk away from him forever, saying it would never work. The thought of never seeing her again made him feel like the sun would never rise again.
Gage smirked. “Maybe. But something tells me she’s not the type of girl to back down from a fight. If she’s your Marked, she’s probably a little stubborn and hard-headed.”
“Thanks,” Nik said dryly.
“Nik, in all seriousness, you shouldn’t be scared to let her in. She probably needs you as much as you need her.”
Nik thought about what she’d shared with him. It made his blood boil how her family treated her. “Perhaps. I just hope I’m good enough for her.”
Gage smiled. “You’re one of the best men I know.”
Nik slowly smiled back as he let that sink in. “Thanks, man.” His brows furrowed. “Did you find out anything about the witch mafia before things went to hell?”
Now it was Gage’s turn to pace. “Yes, sort of. I’ve been talking to Shawna. And don’t give me that face. Turns out, she’s a mutual friend with our contact.”
Nik snorted. “How appropriate she runs with Nightshade scum.”
“Anyway,” Gage said pointedly, “it seems the more I know, the less I know, if that makes any sense.”
“Not at all.”
“Well, humor me. Shawna says our contact has connections with some of the Indigo Watchmen.”
Nik’s brows raised. The Watchmen were the elite task force of the DPI, kind of like private investigators. Only the really serious cases went to them. And if they were involved….
“Apparently, according to what the contact has told her, the Indigo Watchmen have been investigating some fifty-plus killings in the past three months, all in different areas of the country.”
“Fifty? Jesus, how come we haven’t heard about it? Something like that should be all over the Underworld news.”
“That’s just it—they’ve been keeping it covered up because they didn’t want to cause widespread panic, especially since they don’t know what’s going on yet. One thing’s linked all the crimes. The victims were all branded with that pentagram symbol.”
“The same one Onyx had on his neck?”
“One and the same.”
“Shit.”
“I know.”
Nik worried his lip ring. “Do you think the people who tried to kill the high family were involved with the mafia?”
“It’s possible. I just don’t know what their motive is. Just last month, they tried to kill my mate. Killing yours, however—a future High Queen—is quite a bit different from taking out a lesser-ranking queen.”
“Damn. I wish I knew what kind of game they were playing.”
“Don’t we all,” Gage murmured darkly. “At any rate, we should be extra cautious. Speaking of, where’s Alara?”
“Oh, don’t worry. She was out in the dining room a moment ago talking to Danica.”
Gage frowned. “I hate to say it, but we should probably keep them locked up. Until something’s done about the mafia, they could both still be in danger, deserted hotel or not.”
“Right.” Nik started for the door, then paused. “Where’s Jason?”
Gage looked amused. “You mean you can’t hear him and Shawna? And I thought I was deaf.”
“Ugh.” Nik shivered. “Don’t remind me of my sexcapades with that psychopath. I hope Jason is into masochism.”
“You were, too, if I recall correctly. Maybe you should have been a porn star.”
Nik snorted. “Very funny.” He shrugged. “I like to experiment. Keeps things interesting. You should try it sometime. I bet Danica would look marvelous in a little leather.”
Gage’s eyes glowed gold. “I hope you’re not imagining my mate naked.”
Nik grinned. “Danny? She’s like my little sister. Wouldn’t dream of it.” With that he walked off, but not before he heard Gage mutter, “Danny?”
Alara had just slipped her keycard in their room door when Nik said, “Alara.”
She turned, finding him walking toward her. She frowned at the serious look on his face. She’d seen it when the shooting happened. She dubbed it his “warrior face.”
“What is it? Did something happen?”
He smiled at her. “Not yet. I’m glad you’re going back to the room. I was about to come and get you and take you here anyway.”
She raised a brow in question.
He held open the door. “I’ll explain inside.”
Weird.
She didn’t question him. They both walked inside. “What’s going on?” she asked, crossing her arms. “Nik, you’re scaring me.”
He smiled and grasped her arms, running his hands along them. The soothing motion helped calm her nerves a little, though her heart still galloped like a racehorse. “I was just talking to Gage. Since the shooting, we figured we ought to keep both you and Danica hidden—as a precaution.”
It took her a moment to figure out why they’d want to hide Danica. “She’s the werewolf queen who was attacked last month, right? By that Nightshade wolf?”
Nik’s eyes flashed gold for a split second. “Yes. That was Danica.” He let go of her arms and went to sit on the bed. She sat down beside him.
“I heard about it,” she said carefully, “but I didn’t know all the details. What happened?”
Nik searched her eyes as if debating on whether to tell her the truth.
She squeezed his hands. “Whatever it is, I can handle it. Trust me. I’m a lot tougher than I look.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it. You’d have to be tough to survive in that world of cutthroat politics.” He kissed her forehead and rested his head on her shoulder. It was such a sweet gesture, she took him into her arms, resting her head against his.
“Do you know about the witch mafia?” he asked.
She racked her brain. “Very li
ttle. You hear stories, of course. They’re almost like an urban legend.”
“We suspect they may be involved with hiring the hit on Danica, but we don’t have any leads that directly point to them. No one knows their customs, who’s a member. Gage and I don’t know many witches and warlocks. I have a witch friend in the DPI, and she’s keeping her ear to the ground, but so far nothing concrete has come up about the mafia.”
Alara frowned. “What makes you think it’s even them? Sounds more likely it was a scorned were.”
“You would think,” he murmured darkly. He explained to her about Onyx and the pentagram symbol on him and told her all about the battle that resulted in his death. By the time Nik was finished, she was wide-eyed. “Holy crap. I had no idea there were wolves buying Black Magic spells.”
Nik grinned. “It doesn’t surprise me. A nice girl like you probably has no reason to stick her nose in the Underworld’s Black Market of forbidden goodies.”
She stood, mind racing. “I have to tell my father.”
“Whoa, wait up,” Nik said, grabbing her arms. “We can’t contact your dad.”
“Why not? Nik, this is huge! If things like this are happening, he has a right to know so we can put a stop to them!”
Nik looked away. She ducked her head. “What is it? What’s the matter?”
It took him a moment to answer. “We can’t tell your dad.”
“Why not?”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I haven’t told Gage this, but I think in the back of his mind he’s been wondering the same thing too.”
“Which is…?”
He took a deep breath and forced himself to meet her eyes. “I think the reason this kind of activity has been allowed to happen in the first place is because the authorities are turning a blind eye.”
She stood there, silent, letting what he’d said sink in. “Wait a minute, are you suggesting my father knows about this?”
“It’s possible.”
A sliver of fear crept into her chest, but she firmly pushed it down and shook her head. “No way. My father’s strict and a bit scary sometimes, but he’s an honorable man. He would have snuffed out this operation soon as he got word of it.”