by Tigris Eden
“New York doesn’t look like it would fit you.” Olivia had nailed it. Knew he didn’t belong, and Blue found her astuteness cute.
“No, I had to fit New York. When I found I tired of the hustle and bustle of the city, I came here.”
“Makes sense. You look like a mountain man. What’s Nerina to you?”
“She’s Luna of Pack Canidae and Clan Denali.”
The children watched them as they passed through the common area. The younger females, not quite mature, batted their eyes at him as he walked by. One, whose interest became bolder and bolder as the days progressed, took that moment to approach.
“Blue.” She lowered her head slightly before raising her eyes to his.
“Nicola.”
“Will you sit with me at supper?”
“No, little one, I cannot. I have been charged to look after our guest until she is well enough to leave the mountain.”
His reply made Nicola pout. Blue lifted her chin and kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Worry not, little one, tomorrow, Olivia and I will come and visit with you and the other children. Wouldn’t you like that, Olivia?” Blue asked.
He watched her eyebrows raise in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to invite her along. It was his only tactic with Nicola, a way to dissuade her without hurting her feelings.
“I am not a child, Blue. I will be of age soon.”
“Yes, and you will make some young wolf very happy,” he crooned. “Olivia, you did not answer my question.”
“Sure, visiting children sounds interesting.”
“Go now, Nicola. I need to feed our guest.”
“Yes, Blue.” The defeat was evident in her tone as she lowered her head and turned to walk in the opposite direction.
Blue led Olivia with a firm hand on her lower back towards the eating area. His fingers tingled at the contact. Being human, she wouldn’t realize the smell she was throwing off. It was warm, inviting, and for him. There were other female wolves milling about, talking to one another. When he and Olivia entered the room, they stopped talking.
“This is awkward,” Olivia muttered under her breath.
“It’s not strange for them. Maybe for you. We’ve all lived among humans. It’s odd for you because you’re not sure what to think. They can sense and smell your hesitation. You’re not an anomaly. Some of the females have even taken human males to their beds.”
“That’s information I could have done without.”
“Just making a point. Sit.” Blue pulled the bench out, allowing her to take a seat at one of the long tables. She didn’t move. “Are you sitting?” he asked.
“Do you know how to ask nicely, or does everyone around here let you talk to them like they’re animals?”
One of the women in the group snickered. Blue snapped his head up and glared in her direction, silencing her. Gritting his teeth, he prayed for calm. Why Olivia irked him, he couldn’t say.
“Olivia.” Blue placed a firm hand on her shoulder and gently urged her forward. She didn’t budge. Her eyes went to his, and he could see the challenge there. Bold and infuriating female. “Olivia, do not make me ask you again.” Her breath quickened, and her eyes widened before the stunned look cleared.
She snorted again.
“You need to learn the meaning of a demand and a question. Or, better yet, maybe some manners. I’ve been running for my life for the better part of three days. Chased down by a humungous-ass black wolf. I still haven’t come to terms with the whole vampire-werewolf phenomena. And, now, you’re ordering me around like I’m some sort of dog. ‘Sit, Olivia,’ ‘roll over, Olivia,’ better yet, ‘why don’t you beg like a good girl, Olivia.’”
Her voice rose with each word until the last, her name, rang in his ears. His blood boiled, and his wolf wanted to pounce. Not in the way she’d expect, however. He was losing control. Something he never did. The growl in his throat started off as a low warning until the full force of it came out in a garbled mess of more demanding words. He bent forward, glaring into her face.
“When you beg, it won’t be because I think you’re a dog. It will be because you’re begging for my touch, my mouth, and anything else I wish to give you. Now, sit. Eat your food. Your voice vexes me.”
Blue didn’t wait for her reaction. He knew she would listen. Heard the fabric covering her supple ass scrape the bench as she sat. He needed air.
“Watch her.” Blue turned sharply and walked out of the eating area. He shouldn’t have said the things he had to her. But fuck if he didn’t mean every word.
3
Olivia sat, conflicted. No one had ever spoken to her that way. Blue’s voice affected her on a sensory level, but his words…they reverberated at a cellular level. Every part of her body heated at his statement. Her response felt alien. The clothes she wore felt tight and restraining. Over a man. Really, Olivia? Pull it together. She didn’t get this excited when her ex went down on her. To feel or even react the way she responded to Blue was unnatural.
She always kept her cool. You’re traumatized by your experience. He’d saved her. That’s why the feelings were there. She was grateful, it wasn’t some silly overactive attraction. No, the pull she felt towards Blue was caused by feelings of gratitude. It wasn’t because his savage beauty resembled a warrior from a bygone era. Or because the confidence oozing from his form made all within hearing and seeing distance gravitate his way. It was her gratitude toward him that fueled her misguided desires. That’s it. And that’s all.
Identifying the root cause made Olivia feel better. It meant that she’d be able to easily navigate their interaction for however long she was expected to recover before going down the mountain. The room she sat in appeared to be a dining area of some sort. There were long, wooden tables facing each other with benches. Stone slabs rested on some of the tables. She assumed they held food.
“Here you go.” A young woman sat a plate of food in front of Olivia. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until her stomach grumbled. Fruit, cheese, and a warm loaf of bread.
“Thank you.”
“Sure thing.” The young woman eyed Olivia from head to toe, her nose crinkling slightly. “Cassandra has marked you.”
“Yes, I was told it was for my protection.”
“It is. There are those in the Pack who will object to you being here.”
“Right, because I’m human.”
“That isn’t the only reason. We interact with other humans all the time. Live amicably among them. At least, my Pack did. I even lived in an apartment in Anchorage. It’s this shit with the Hunters that has everyone in a tizzy.”
“Bullshit, if you ask me. Us hiding here like we’re afraid,” another woman commented.
“That’s Alexandra. I’m Penny,” the woman said, pointing to the other woman who’d joined their conversation. Both were in their early twenties and dressed the part, complete with Juicy Couture tracksuits. Alexandra’s was black with gold writing on the back, and Penny’s a bright pink. They had expensive highlights in their auburn hair, and their makeup was flawless. They didn’t look like they belonged inside a mountain with dim lighting, situated among the rocks and dirt.
“There has to be a reason the Alpha and his mate don’t want you all out and about.”
Both women looked at each other, smiles bright on their faces. “Oh, we like you. Smart and beautiful. Can we sit?”
“Of course.” Olivia scooted farther down the bench, and they sat to each side of her.
Alexandra sifted her fingers through her hair as she spoke. “The thing is, there wasn’t a decree that we stay here. Everyone just sort of did. Especially after Victor took over the Pack and Clan Denali.”
“There’s a Pack and a Clan?”
Penny winked at her. “There are about twelve Packs under the Denali Clan. Victor and Nerina, she’s our Luna—”
“And a hybrid?” Olivia interrupted.
“Correct!” Alexandra clapped excitedly. “It’s so awesome y
ou’re catching on. It will make things a lot easier for you. But yes, the Luna is half-werewolf, half-vampire. The first of her kind. She also has a direct connection to our goddess, Selene.”
Olivia took a lot of courses in high school and college. She remembered that the goddess Selene was connected to the moon, which made sense. They were werewolves.
“Isn’t Selene also Artemis?”
“Yahtzee and a half,” Penny said, giggling and looking at her friend Alexandra. Or perhaps they were sisters, they looked alike in some ways.
“And a half? How?”
“Well, Selene and Artemis have a connection, but not in the way you think. Selene is a Titan, Artemis is the coveted sister of Apollo, the Sun God. But, long story short, Nerina’s father couldn’t choose between the two, and…things happened. At the time, Selene pretended to be a handmaiden. Apollo was clueless, but even after the shit hit the fan, it was too late. Ambrogio—who goes by Roman now—the first ever original vampire, was changed and tasked with retrieving the Silver Bow of Artemis, which controls all night creatures.”
“The Bow can control wolves, then?”
“Yes,” Penny answered. “We have the Bow, but it’s hidden away, and Nerina’s father wants it back.”
“He’s not upset that his daughter is with your Alpha?”
Both women shrugged.
“Who the hell knows at this point, but rumor has it, Ambrogio, who is also Roman de Civiti—”
“The crime boss?” Olivia interrupted.
“One and the same.”
Food forgotten, Olivia sat and listened to the rest of the story. She knew who Roman was, she also knew who Nerina was. Nerina’s mother and father, perished in a fire. But if what Penny and Alexandra said was true. Roman was alive and well. Figures. Roman’s illegitimate daughter was the only survivor. Everyone in New York knew about the Civiti family. Olivia’s firm had once been asked to insure Roman himself. She’d been assigned to the case. Even at the time, she’d thought the man oily. This explains it all.
Alexandra and Penny were animated relaying their tale. Information flowed freely, and Olivia soaked it up. When they were finished explaining the Reaping ritual, which Olivia found fascinating, she asked the big question swimming around in the back of her mind.
“Where does Blue fit in to all of this?”
The women blushed.
“Blue is not like us, he’s a Berserker. A different kind of wolf. We have three forms. Wolf, Warrior, and human. We age, but very slowly. We are not influenced by the moon and are direct descendants of Enil. Blue’s line comes from Vikings who died on the battlefield. They worship Odin, and when they go into full Berserk mode, are considered highly dangerous, even to wolves. They have horrible tempers and at times can’t be controlled. They were given a half-life until they find their mates. Only then are they fully restored. Once they do that, they live out the rest of their lives tied to the life force of their mates. They tend to be lone wolves, and are more aggressive—well, more of everything really.” Alexandra snickered.
The information provided shouldn’t have piqued Olivia’s interest, but it did. Blue was aggressive, but she could see that he kept a tight hold on his combative behavior.
“That’s why he barks orders then?”
“All of the males are like that for the most part. They are the dominant sex. Naturally, we females are expected to submit. Blue does not partake in couplings like the others. Alexandra and I have both tried to enter into breeding contracts with him, but he refused us.”
Breeding contracts?
“You mean…get pregnant by him? What about marriage?”
“Oh, we have something like that. Mating. But nowadays, it is not something we have to do. We get choices now. Unless you’re like Victor and find your Eros. When a wolf finds his Eros, it’s instant connection. Our Warriors are separate and in a way, we lead multiple lives. For Victor, not only did he have to accept Nerina, but so did Menes, his warrior, and his wolf. All three must agree. Our warriors only show at certain times of the year, or when we are in severe danger, but a wolf’s Eros can summon the warrior at any time. Eros is a third love. In our culture there are three types. Agape, Philos, and Eros. Agape the first love, can only be the love of Selene, Goddess of the moon. We all feel her love once a month during the full moon. The second love, Philos, consists of earthly love. We feel this for our family, friends, and sometimes our lovers. Eros is a physical love. A sexual intimacy that far surpasses the erotic and takes a person into a deeper, unbreakable connection. We all wish we could experience that kind of love. Once that happens, then the Reaping ritual is performed, cementing the two in mind, body and soul. I know most everyone in Clan Denali, and not one male has appealed to my Warrior wolf, or my wolf. You need all three to make that connection. Although, Colin is nothing to laugh at.” Penny’s smile was infectious.
“Colin?”
“The Alpha’s brother. He is the only one who will never mate. He is different. Every three hundred years or so—”
“Three hundred years?” Olivia interrupted.
“You two have big mouths,” a deep voice rumbled.
Olivia turned to see a man who belonged on the cover of a magazine. She just couldn’t come up with one that would do his masculinity justice. His eyes, a piercing emerald green, zeroed in on her. The woman next to him needed no introduction. Nerina Simpson, illegitimate daughter of Roman Civiti. Which meant, the guy standing next to her was the Alpha, Victor.
Olivia could see the burn marks on Nerina’s arm and hand. The scars looked almost healed. She wore a long-sleeve turtleneck and black jeans. Victor wore a tight, black t-shirt and black jeans with hiking boots. They both could have been on some billboard. They look harmless enough. But all predators did until you got up close. Shoring up her strength, Olivia decided the best course of action would be to meet the situation head-on. She wasn’t going to cower in the corner.
Having a human among the Packs didn’t sit well with Victor. But he wasn’t a total asshole. Nerina agreed with him, as well. At least we agree on that. Since mating season was over, and they’d yet to conceive, she was on edge. Everyone was. The task of giving birth to the next Silverback was no easy feat. Expectations were high. Both his parents had tried consoling Nerina, but she’d rejected their attentions.
The woman at the bench stood and wiped her hands on her pants before approaching. Bold. He could still smell her hesitation and the slight fear she tried to keep in check. But he could see that she was determined. But if she were scared even a little, she wouldn’t do anything stupid.
“I’m Olivia. You must be Victor and Nerina.”
“Yes. You’re taking this all very well. If Blue hadn’t told me that your camp was taken out by Hunters, I would suspect that you were sent here as a spy.”
To his comment, she snorted.
“Yeah, no. Not me. I’m here on vacation. Or I was until my camp was overrun by vampires. There isn’t much that gets me worked up. I analyze, assess the facts, and come up with a plan of action.” Her eyes dropped to her hands clasped in front of her before she stared at him again. “Werewolves, vampires…the entire thing seems crazy. But when presented with the facts, I came to two conclusions.”
“What’s that?” Nerina butted in.
“Either I’m on some weird acid trip, or all of this is real. Since I don’t do drugs, the only explanation is that it’s all real. Am I scared? Fuck, yeah. But what can I do? Overreacting would only make the situation worse. Which means chaos. And I don’t do chaos. Like, at all.”
Ballsy and smart. She didn’t even care that she conversed with the Alpha and Luna. She kept right on going.
“You’re the Alpha, Victor. And Nerina is a hybrid. She’s also Roman Civiti’s daughter. I’ve met your father, honey, he was a bastard before I knew he was a vampire, but doubly so now for faking his death and trying to kill you. Not to mention the men who killed everyone back at my camp. They’re motherfuckers, too. If I had t
o be chased by a big-ass black wolf, rescued by a Viking Berserker, and then left to hang out in a mountain until I’m well enough to leave”—her eyes zeroed in on Victor—“assuming you let me leave, and this isn’t just some ploy to keep me calm…then I say I got the better end of the deal.”
“I fucking love this woman, Vic,” Nerina shared.
“Yeah, I had a feeling you were going to say that, Neri. Looks like you have a new BFF.” Nerina looked up at him and smiled. She was happy. For now. But he knew the moment they were back in their room, she would be forlorn again about their current predicament.
“You’re welcome here until you’re fully recovered. After, Blue will take you to one of the service roads. As long as you don’t pose a threat and don’t reveal our secret, I have no issues with you.”
“Roger that. Zip the lip, I live free and clear of all the crazy.”
Cassandra, I need to speak with you.”
“Of course, Blue. What do you want to talk about?”
“Our contract.”
“Are you ready to do your part?”
Blue wished that were the case. It wasn’t. He needed to remove himself from the agreement, to clear a path for himself and the infuriating woman in the eating area. Is this really happening? It appeared that way. There was no other explanation. He’d counseled many males on the very same subject. He wouldn’t be someone who didn’t follow his own advice. He’d never thought it would happen. Not for him. Never imagined the gods would give him such a gift. It was a miracle, and gifts were not to be returned. They should be embraced.
“I regret to inform you that our contract must be voided.”
“You regret to inform me?” The look on Cassandra’s face was one of shock.
“It was not my intent to hurt you, little one.” He tried to soften his delivery.
“Blue, I’m not little.” She rolled her eyes as she stood straighter. She gripped the side of her pants’ leg as she watched him with her alluring violet eyes. He’d once thought there could be a mutual mating between them, but Cassandra had proven to be more than he was willing to put up with. Olivia is no different; in fact, she may be worse. True, but for some reason, the thought didn’t bother him. He looked forward to their sparring of wits, and their physical battles.