She nodded at the brownie. “Lead the way, thank you.” Turning to pick up her suitcase, she was startled when the brownie picked it up first.
“I can carry that.”
“We brownies are stronger than we look,” Grigore responded dryly. “It is no hardship.” He turned to the stairs. “Follow me.”
Gia tried not to feel ridiculous as she followed the fey that was half her size up the stairs. For Artemis’ sake, he’d probably fit inside the suitcase. Grigore cleared his throat and she had the sudden irrational feeling he’d heard her thoughts. Don’t be dense, brownies aren’t telepathic. Just in case, she tore her mind away from the brownie and tried to think of something else.
Immediately her brain zipped back to the scene in the woods a few short hours ago. Pain and the sting of betrayal sizzled over her nerves and she shoved the emotions away. Not now. I won’t think of that now.
Desperate for something else to occupy her thoughts, she tried to concentrate on her plan. The full moon would last for three nights. She just had to hide here holding onto her sanity for three nights and then she could go home and start fixing the shambles her traitorous now ex-mate and her ungrateful pack had made of her life.
The dam she’d built to hold back her emotions began to strain under the weight of the feelings roused by her thoughts. She gasped as she tripped over a thick red rug running down the center of the next hallway. Fury burned like hot lead in her veins as she hit the floor, hard, and she had to fight not to release her claws and shred the offending carpet.
Artemis’ bow, Gia, get a grip. She straightened her shoulders and glared at the floor.
“Are you all right, Gia?”
Grigore’s voice seemed far away. She dragged a deep breath into her lungs, holding it for a second before blowing it out. Slowly, she pushed herself up from the floor, mentally pulling herself together as she rose. By the time she stood straight again, she had a white knuckled grip on her emotions and was able to give Grigore what she hoped was a pleasantly blank face.
“I’m fine. Please lead on.”
The brownie didn’t comment further. He proceeded to walk down the hallway and Gia followed. As she walked, she kept her eyes peeled for any other surprise rugs that might try to throw her to the floor.
As she walked, Gia forced herself to keep calm. She thought of her duties as lupa, mentally running over a list of things she should be doing instead of cavorting with a vampire. Aphrodite’s Hunt, regardless of what she might think of it, was a sacred ritual among werewolves. She knew no other pack would dare to disrespect the goddess of love and desire by breaking a treaty while the Hunt was on. The meetings she had scheduled with the alpha to the south could easily be rescheduled for next month. She was certain someone from her pack had already contacted him and alerted him to the situation. She would be given these three days of the full moon as well as the rest of the month for her and her new mate to get situated.
The very thought nearly made Gia’s blood boil and she quickly forced her attention to something else before an explosion of emotion made her embarrass herself further in front of Grigore. There were no new wolves this month, so she didn’t have to worry about that. If any new ones showed up during the full moon, the oracle should be able to keep them calm until Gia returned. And the Furies, the enforcers of the pack, could certainly be counted on for defense in her absence. More than half of them were female, so the Hunt should not affect them too much.
It took longer to walk to her room than she’d expected. The mansion was huge, easily the largest building in a fifty mile radius. She gave the carpeting one last glare before glancing at the walls to either side of her. Rich, vibrant paintings graced the walls and small tables with fresh flowers sat nestled between large dark windows. It was hard to tell with the glare from the inside lights and the natural darkness of the night sky, but the glass appeared to have been painted black.
Makes sense for someone who would be destroyed by sunlight.
Grigore stopped and gestured to an open door on his right. “This will be your room, Gia. Just call for me if you need anything, I will hear you.”
For some reason, the sight of the empty room strained her grip on the emotions that had built steadily since much earlier this evening. They swirled around her head like angry hawks, screeching their blood curdling cries as they swooped down to drag their black talons through her flesh before sweeping out of her reach. One after the other crashed over her, none of them giving her any time to think. The sting of betrayal melted on a wave of anger.
Clenching her hands into fists, she nodded to Grigore and walked into the room he had indicated. As his footsteps faded down the hall, she picked up her suitcase and carried it to the dresser. Thank the goddess, she always kept a bag packed for those occasions when she had to leave quickly to see to a new wolf. The way things had progressed tonight, she never would have had time to pack. Dropping to her knees, she began to unload the suitcase.
Green sweater, pair of jeans, grey skirt, black turtleneck. Her body went through the motions with mechanical efficiency, not bothering to really register the clothes in her mind. Better not to think of anything than to let her mind torment her with things it was too late to change. Her hand brushed against her first aid kit and she stared down at the little black bag.
“He reeks of sex!”
The voice rang in her head and she flinched. She shoved the memory away and took a deep breath. The first aid kit sat like a pleasant weight in her palm as she raised her hand to place it on the dresser.
“The fool didn’t even shower, I can smell her all over him!”
Her fingers tightened on the bag. She grit her teeth and stared down at the zipper. Moving as if in a dream, she drew the little piece of metal to the side, each tooth of the zipper rattling her nerves.
“He betrayed our lupa!”
The scissors caught the light, throwing a brilliant gleam into her eyes. Images of her mate’s face danced in her head, fear shining in his eyes as the voices of her pack shouted their accusations. Pain and humiliation burned in her heart as she met his gaze, reading his guilt before he could speak.
She stood with the bag in her hand. Pain constricted the air in her chest until she couldn’t breathe and tears burned her eyes, blurring her reflection in the mirror. He was supposed to be loyal.
“Adulterer!”
A cry escaped from her mouth as her hand closed over the scissors and she ripped them from the bag. Dropping the kit and the rest of its contents to the floor, she wrapped her fist in her hair and jerked it out to the side to give the scissors a clean shot. The pain in her scalp barely registered over the ache in her heart as that evening played like a horror movie in her mind.
Deep in the forest, surrounded by her pack, she’d stood there like a fool, too shocked to react. In a matter of minutes, her favorite time of the moon’s cycle had gone from a period of freedom to a prison sentence. The scent of her mate’s betrayal had sealed her fate, this month she would be the prey.
She sobbed as the metallic ring of the scissors cut through the air, followed by the whisper of her auburn lock falling to the floor. Aphrodite’s Hunt. The oracle’s words rang in her ears, mocking her with their ritualistic tone as she wove the spell. The goddess of love and desire had heeded the oracle’s call, reaching deep inside Gia to light a passion that would burn like a forest fire in the face of a dominant male until the full moon waned. For those three nights the scent of her arousal would be an irresistible pull for dominant males. They would hunt her down and her wolf would submit to whichever man managed to fight off the others and get to her first. The pack would have their new lycaeon--and she would have her new mate.
She’d stood there in the forest, frozen with agonized disbelief. She’d barely had time to register the pain of her mate’s infidelity before the erotic touch of Aphrodite had flooded her body with need. The oracle had tried to be kind, had given her a head start while she held back the males. It was the only k
indness she could offer—Aphrodite was a goddess of instant gratification.
Another lock of hair fell to the floor, felled by the unforgiving blade of the scissors. A cold fury iced over her nerves, temporarily cooling the heat of the goddess. I am not a beast. I am a woman and I’ll be damned if I let some archaic custom take what’s mine. She didn’t flinch as she stared into the mirror, half of her long curling locks already gone. She thought of the note lying under Claudiu’s pillow, hoping he would be able to read her panicked scrawling. She’d had so little time, the barest of a head start. The plan had hit her like a lightening bolt of inspiration and she hadn’t had time for more than one line.
“Wait for me.”
Pain lanced through her head as she yanked another lock as far as it would go, eyeing the extended hair like it was the bared neck of her former mate. You bastard. How could you betray me like this? The scissors closed with a resounding snickt on the vulnerable lock. You were supposed to be loyal. I’ve given you everything. You would never have been lycaeon if it weren’t for me.
She fell to the floor with the last lock of her hair, burying her face in her hands. Fifteen years together and I don’t even get to ask him why. The cool metal of the shears touched her cheek and she sobbed as she threw them back toward her suitcase. The sharp sound of breaking glass pierced her misery and she raised tear blurred eyes to see where the sound had come from.
A picture frame peeked out of the suitcase. Sniffling, she crawled toward it until she was close enough to reach in and pull it out. The sight of the familiar picture almost sent tears trailing down her face, but she dug her nails into her palm, fiercely refusing to give in. Getting a death grip on her emotions, she sat on the floor with the frame in her lap.
It was her favorite picture. She and Claudiu stood pressed together, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder. They were both smiling under a brilliant sun, the bright yellow school buses behind them a nostalgic reminder of how long ago the picture had been taken. The last day of high school seemed so far away—twenty-six years to be exact. She’d loved him then, even before he loved her.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. The day he’d shown up at her door fifteen years ago still remained as fresh in her mind as if it had happened only yesterday. A blast from the past, smiling that wicked smile and spouting the flowery words she’d loved so much as a girl. Seeing his face had reminded her of a time when home life had become unbearable and the only sympathetic ear to be found was Claudiu with his seductive smile.
Ghosts from her past whispered their memories in her mind and she clenched her teeth against their infuriating voices.
“You will not speak to him like that, Gia! He is your lycaeon and you will show him respect.”
“Child, remember your place. He is lycaeon, he does what is best for all of us.”
“Even if you cannot respect the man, you will respect the position. Hold your tongue.”
Everyone had silenced her, everyone had brushed aside her teenage despair and misery. Only Claudiu had had the irreverence to listen, to validate her outrage. He had stood by her when no one else had. A tear escaped her control. He should have been the perfect mate.
So what if he didn’t possess strong hunting skills, or physical strength? So what if he didn’t have the raw power that usually vibrated within those wolves who came to call themselves alpha? What he’d lacked in physical strength and power, he’d more than made up for in support. After all, she’d fought her way up to lupa so she’d never again find herself forced to smother her voice out of respect for a position. She didn’t want a mate that would challenge her—she wanted a mate that would support her. The fact that her pack didn’t see it that way was secondary.
Guilt gnawed at her heart. Their courtship had moved so fast, her pack hadn’t had time to interfere, even if they’d wanted to. Soon she made their relationship official, making him lycaeon of their pack and then her brethren had been in the same position she’d occupied as a teenager.
Frustration bolted through her with anger hot on its tail. She’d been a good lupa for over a decade before Claudiu arrived. She’d protected her pack, soothed them, counseled them. She’d maintained amicable ties to other packs, maintaining both distance and respect so that territories never overlapped. She’d never asked for a single thing in return—never taken anything or herself. When Claudiu had shown up, she’d finally indulged—finally thought of her own pleasure. The fact that her pack had leapt at the first chance they’d gotten to get rid of him hurt and angered her. They didn’t need a strong lycaeon—they had a strong lupa.
She brushed the tears away, trying to pull herself together. Everything would be okay. She wouldn’t end up saddled with a lycaeon she didn’t want. Her wolf may want a new mate--may relish the hormones calling dominant males to come and claim her, but Gia did not share her beast’s anticipation. Aphrodite’s Hunt would only last for three nights and Sorin could protect her until then. Vampires and werewolves were fairly evenly matched as far as brute strength, but there was a definite advantage to defending one’s own home. As long as she could stay inside, tucked away, Sorin should be more than capable of . . . deterring her packmates. When the full moon ended, she’d go home. She’d talk with Claudiu and they would get past this. Somehow, someway, they would make it right and her world would go back to how it was. All she had to do was survive three nights in the vampire’s home.
She threw the picture back into her suitcase, cursing as another wave of tears flowed down her face. Swiping angrily at the tears she stalked over to the bed and threw herself on the mattress. The feel of the cool sheets on her neck screamed a reminder of what she’d just done to her hair and she covered her face with her hands. A sense of loss settled like a lead blanket over her mind and she cried.
Looking for an escape from her sorrow, her mind turned to Sorin. He’d been the lynchpin of her plan, the one sure thing in this entire mess. For years, he’d lived in Gia’s territory and not once had she or her pack had to intervene to curb his behavior. She’d thought he was the perfect gentleman—just what she needed when her control over her own body was so . . . precarious.
Anger rushed over her in a hot wave. But no, she sneered. Apparently the whole fucking world has gone to shit and everyone’s decided to fuck with my life to the very best of their ability.
He’d acted like an animal. She’d expected manners, poise, eloquence. The dark-eyed male who had stared at her body like something delicious and edible had not been any of those things. He’d been . . . raw.
She shuddered as her mind flashed to an image of him staring at her from the floor. His eyes bored holes in her neck as he drew his tongue over the sharp points of his fangs. Her thighs trembled as she clasped them together, trying to stifle the tingling in her clit. For several glorious seconds she’d thought he would leap off the floor and drag her body under him, burying those fangs in her neck as he claimed her as only he could . . .
And then he’d run away. Even her wolf, horny bitch that she was under Aphrodite’s heavy hand, had been turned off by that display of cowardice. A real man wouldn’t have run just because she pushed him down. He would have fought for her. He would have used all that strength vibrating below his skin to grab her and run his hands over her body until it sang for him. If only he’d carried through with the hungry promise in his eyes, she’s have opened herself to him and—
Almost screaming in frustration as the steady pulse of hormones in her blood spiked in response to her thoughts, Gia viciously ripped open the fastening of her jeans and shoved her hand into her panties.
She had to relieve the pressure. Her body could only take so much teasing before the arousal turned to pain. Perhaps if she took matters into her own hands, she could make herself less vulnerable to the whims of the goddess of desire.
Her fingers had barely caressed her soaking center when the door to the room suddenly flew open. Gia jerked her head to the side, her eyes widening when she
saw Sorin standing there. His eyes followed her arm, his lips parting as he saw what she was doing.
“What the fuck?” she screamed. Her cheeks burst into flames of embarrassment as she pulled her hand out of her jeans and sat up. “Don’t you knock?”
His eyes hovered on the triangle of flesh revealed by the splayed denim. She glared at him, trying to channel her mortification into anger. “I have a right to privacy. Get out.”
His eyes darkened and the unwavering quality of his gaze told her more than his silence that he wasn’t listening. Her blood heated until it nearly boiled inside her and she wondered what he was thinking of—what he might be planning to do. Images of him peeling her jeans off her legs and burying those seductive lips between her thighs ran like hellions through her mind and she jerked her righteous outrage around her like a protective cloak.
“Well, what do you want?” she snapped. “Or is this just your way of telling me you can burst in and invade my personal space whenever you damn well please?”
Still he didn’t answer. Her pulse quickened as his gaze moved to her neck. He swallowed as a strange spark lit his eyes. Fear began to color the tidal wave of arousal threatening to drown her. Suddenly she wasn’t sure if his thoughts were on sex . . . or food.
Aphrodite's Hunt Page 3