My wolf on the other hand wasn’t as patient and was so close to the surface when she was around. If I didn’t have such firm control on him, he would flip on me and take control, and that would sure as shit scare her off, or at least put a gaping distance between us.
“You’re right Jay, she does have a smell to her,” Dassies said.
I nodded. Even in the crowded room, with the smell of sweat, sex and alcohol combined, the scent of her blood stood out. It even masked her feminine aroma, making it harder for me to know if my closeness aroused her or not.
King had said that her scent made her something more than she was, and being alpha he didn’t elaborate, just said we didn’t need to know why. Our job was to protect her at all costs. If I failed, then Stone died, and there was no world without her.
It had to have something to do with them, otherwise King would’ve told us. He never withheld information from the pack unless it was to do with them. Them, being those winged arseholes.
“We were right to bring in Tiff,” Velkan said.
I nodded. Tiff was one of us, and the daughter of Ivor - the third alpha in our den. But Tiff was lame, never able to shift, and thus she bared no muscular structure like the rest of the she-wolves. Once assigned her role, she had made friends with Stone fast, who was none the wiser as to Tiff’s dormant inner beast. She was Cai’s mate and the most suited of all the she-wolves for the task.
“She’s not a supernatural being,” Velkan said.
That was the reason for him finally meeting her. I’d told him she wasn’t, but he had to confirm it, alpha’s orders.
The last demon had been here two months ago. I had trapped it inside Stone’s apartment after smelling its foulness when I returned home from the gym. Luckily, Stone hadn’t been home as the demon was waiting to ambush her. Boy did he get a surprise. I took Stone out for dinner that night, distracting her as Dassies and other wolves cleaned the mess.
“Then why are they after her?” I asked. It was the same question I’d asked all year long. No one knew, and if they did, they weren’t letting on. I was sure none of the pack knew about Stone’s gran, or her sighting.
“I don’t know. I want to talk to her,” Velkan said, and he wasn’t asking.
A hard lump balled in my throat. My lips curled back, and teeth clenched. A low growl tried to escape. What the fuck was I doing? My secret clawing at my insides. No, I shouted in my head to my wolf. Not yet, she wasn’t mine, yet.
10
We stepped back into the club and headed towards the bar. Jamie and his friends were still there, talking amongst themselves. He spotted us and looked over. The way his eyes pierced mine held me in place. My mouth parted, and then snapped shut. A couple of women were flirting with Jamie and his friends. One, in a silver strapless dress that barely covered her arse, had her eyes fixed on her fingers as they trailed down his arm. Her tongue licked her lips. I rolled my eyes at Jay and slid into a gap at the bar.
Could he be anymore disgusting, I mean, he didn’t even have to work for it. Women walked up to him with their legs wide open. Bile tasted in my throat. It shouldn’t bother me, but it did.
We grabbed our drinks and found ourselves a table up on the elevated platform. The bass of the music vibrated through the floor. I sipped on my drink, it was smooth and helped take the edge off. From where I was seated, I could look out over the entire crowd, and watch everything. The music was hopping, I even managed a slight joyous sway and a tap of my foot.
It wasn’t long before Mac stood. “I need another drink. It’s my round, I’ll be right back.”
Could she be any more obvious? Tiff and I looked at each other, we both knew exactly where she was going. Mac walked through the crowded room to the bar, landing right beside Jamie. He had seen her coming, his attention shifting from the women to her.
Mac looked tiny next to Jamie, even though she wasn’t short, she was slim. Her dirty blonde hair was always kept at shoulders length. She was crazy and wild, but so caring, and had wicked long olive legs that she liked to show off any chance see got.
Tiff was cool too. I met her over a year ago, and we’d hit it off immediately.
With an exchange of raised eyebrows, we turned back around.
“She’s so predictable. Does she seriously have no shame?” Tiff sneered.
I wanted to add a snide remark, but Mac really didn’t have any shame, even though she blushed when Jay spoke to her.
Before I could say anything, Tiff continued. “But I have dibs on Cai. Damn he’s fine, I mean look at that arse, and those arms. Damn.”
I laughed. Cai, with short spiked dark hair; dark mysterious eyes that matched the stern expression imprinted on his face; and built like a bodybuilder with tattoo’s covering his right arm. Yeah, I could see why he’d be her type.
Mac returned after a short while and passed us our drinks. The harsh taste of vodka hit me. I scrunched my nose up and pursed my lips. More vodka than coke, great.
A hum of energy began prickling my skin and suffocating my senses. Jay. He must’ve been close. That surprised me considering the easy fuck standing at his disposal in front of him. Would he really walk away from a sure thing? Oh, how little I thought of his bedroom habits because they really hadn’t changed since high school.
Within minutes, Jamie and his friends joined us. A light tingling coated my skin. Jamie took a seat beside Mac, of course, as the rest of them huddled at the end of the table.
Tiff scooted over one seat closer to me, gesturing to the now empty seat beside her. Cai took the hint and sat. His dark, tanned, tattooed, and muscular arms rested on the table in front of him.
“Hey, I’m Tiff. You’re Cai, right?”
His face cracked into a slight smile as he nodded.
Tiff sparked up conversation with him, and I was semi-listening, well ease-dropping to be precise. She was so confident, I loved that about her. She suited being a mechanic, a girly-girl in a man’s world. But man, did she know her way around a car, not that I needed her help, with no car and all. Mac was the sensible nurse, exceptionally good at her job, and her bedside manner was her best quality, but when she had a drink or two, all bets were off.
As I looked around the table, my eyes stopped on Velkan. Oh fuck, he was gorgeous, not like Jamie, but different, understated. As he talked to Dassies his eyes glanced around the room and caught mine. A splatter of warmth hit my cheeks. I looked away, pretending like I hadn’t been staring, but I couldn’t not look. My eyes lifted and met his, like mesmerizing emeralds, I was being pulled into the depths of them.
“Dani,” Tiff interrupted.
“Yeah?”
She didn’t answer, just stared at me, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Then just as fast turned back to Cai and kept talking.
“Hi,” a deep smoky voice said as a wave of raw masculine energy and strength hummed around me.
Velkan sat on the stool beside me. Warmth spread to my cheeks. My hands and fingers tingled. The thudding of my heart drowned out the sound of the music around us.
“Hi,” I said, with false confidence.
He was close to me, his delectable cologne enticing my senses and sending warm pulses round my body. He rested one arm on the table, it was muscular, and there were two small tattoos on the inside of his forearm. A feeling of lightness rushed over me.
“I’m Danielle.”
“Vee,” he said, as his lips curved upwards.
“Vee? Is that short for something?”
“Velkan.”
“Cool. So, how do you know Jamie?”
“Oh, you know, here and there.”
“So, he didn’t pay you to be his friend then.” I laughed.
He smiled. “No, we go way back. Although, I’m told so do you. How come I’ve never met you before?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen you at our apartment building, so maybe we just haven’t had that chanced cross-pathed meeting yet.”
“That’s right, he told me you lived in
the same building as him. How’s that working out for you?”
“Wait, what, you guys talked about me?”
“Oh, nothing so formal, but he mentioned that you lived in the same building, and he’d known you since you guys were little.”
“Okay…” I said, almost disbelieving that was all that was said.
“He also mentioned that your grandmother had taken him in, after his parents died.”
I cocked a brow. Gran had taken him in until his uncle could be located. It had only been a few months, but Jay was so messed up that he cried a lot. I comforted him, slept next to him, so that he could at least have contact, and sleep. We were only five when it happened after all, so it wasn’t like anything sexual was hijacking our minds. “Really? He told you that. You really aren’t a rent-a-friend then.”
“Wait, are you saying I could get paid to be his friend? Shit, I lucked out there,” he said, the amusement in his mocking voice clear.
“Seems so.”
“So, is that why you’re still friends with him then? Because we both know it’s not his charming behaviour that keeps you around.”
“Unfortunately, not. We have known each other for so long, that we understand each other, I guess. Plus, even though he is a right pain in the arse, he is kind of fun to be around.”
It was true, I couldn’t imagine my life without him, even though he had been absent for a few years, there was no way I would want that again.
Velkan grinned at my enthusiasm about Jamie. In a moment of silence, the growing energy was pulling me towards him. A deep heat seared within me. Out of the corner of my eye, I stared at his hands, his arms, atop the table. My gaze shifted and met his. The space between us was electric, intense.
“But enough about Jay. Tell me about you,” I said.
Before he could answer, a sudden shove from behind thrusted me off my seat, and straight onto Vee. His arms were fast and caught me as I landed on him. The contact of our skin, our hands, our arms, sent my pulse racing. Warmth overcame me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, mortified.
Behind me, Tiff and Cai were making out full throttle. She had leant backwards and knocked me off my seat.
“Fucking hell,” I said.
“Cai.” Velkan’s voice was harsh.
Cai broke apart from Tiff and met Velkan’s eyes. “Shit, sorry Vee.” He took Tiff’s hands and led her away from the table. The most indulgent smile creased her face.
After a slight readjustment of my dress, I paused, realising that I was now standing between Velkan’s legs, and his hands had slid to the sides of my waist, holding me. Heat burnt my cheeks. I was at a loss for words, not knowing what to do. Fuck. I couldn’t lift my eyes to him, I was too embarrassed, nervous, too something. I reached out and slid my bar stool closer to me and climbed back onto the seat.
“Sorry,” I said, still unable to look at him.
“I’m not complaining,” he whispered.
His warm breath hit my ear like an electric spark and jolted my body. I tried to gasp but was unable to. Our faces were almost touching. My eyes searched every inch of his. Heart pounding, my mouth opened with short sharp breaths. Everything in me wanted him. His pouted lips looked soft, dangerous, and delicious. A throbbing need for him consumed me.
With precise timing, my mind shifted to repetitive flash backs of falling off my chair and landing in his lap. Heat stung my cheeks. I could’ve killed Tiff.
“Sorry,” I said, again.
I needed to calm my libido down before I pounced on him.
“Don’t be sorry, I rather enjoyed your trip.” His mouth curved upwards at one end.
I started to return the smile, but a familiar dark figure appeared behind Jamie and patted him on the back. A wave of dread came over me. Blood drained from my body. I was frozen. Shit. My ex, Harley.
Jamie turned, and as he saw Harley, his face hardened. I saw the tick in his jaw. Eyes of molten disdain glared out. They began exchanging words.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Why of all the bars did he have to come here? What an arse.
He spoke to Jay, but his eyes suffocated me. Staring at me without blinking, not once. I couldn’t hold his gaze, and I didn’t want to, he didn’t deserve my acknowledgement. I couldn’t be here, in any space, that he was.
I rolled my eyes languidly away, grabbed my clutch and stood. “Excuse me for a minute,” I said to Vee.
“You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I’m going to the bathroom,” I lied, not wanting to hurt Velkan because I was really enjoying my time with him, but Harley had totally soured that. I needed fresh air. I began to walk away but stopped shoulder to shoulder with Vee. Placed one hand on his shoulder for balance, then leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I whispered.
I don’t know whether that was for my benefit, Velkan’s or as a warning to Harley, but it didn’t matter. I was pissed, annoyed, outraged at the audacity of Harley showing up here. It had been three years, three fucking years, couldn’t he leave well enough alone. I doubted Jamie wanted anything more than I, to do with Harley, but he was engaging the motherfucker.
Vee’s arms wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. His eyes caressed my face with more intensity than before. His bottom lip curled upwards as he bit down, cupped my face with his other hand, and his soft lips had planted themselves on mine. All thoughts and surroundings drifted far from my mind. I pressed my lips onto his, kissing him back with force. A surge of raw hunger poured out from him, and I liked it.
“Make sure you do,” Vee said, as our mouths separated.
His breath was warm and mouth soft. It was a great kiss, but it couldn’t dull out the tightness in my stomach from seeing Harley.
Jamie watched me as I walked past him, an enigmatic look plastered on his face, as if he disapproved of the kiss I had shared with Vee - which was stupid. Whatever was up his arse could wait, and well, Harley’s reaction, I couldn’t even be bothered noticing what it was.
I headed to the bar and Mac joined me. She despised Harley, even when we were dating, she said there was something about him she didn’t like, but never knew what. He gave her an ‘off’ feeling.
“Are you okay?” Mac asked.
“What the fuck is he doing here?”
“Well, he does know Kyle, and Jamie, and most of your friends.”
“So, why does he have to be here, tonight?”
He had no fucking right to just walk up to our group, or Jamie and assume we would greet him with open arms – hell to the fuck no. I hoped Jamie put him in his place and told him to fuck off. But looking over there, Jay hadn’t.
“He’s sure got better looking though,” Mac said before snarling. “Prick.”
“Mac,” I exclaimed, shocked that she would even say that. But I couldn’t disagree. He had matured into his looks even more, but after what he did to me, it didn’t matter what he looked like on the outside, he was ugly on the inside.
“I’m going to get my drink and head out on the balcony for some fresh air. Go back to the table babes, I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll come with you,” Mac said.
“Thanks, but no, I need a minute alone to calm down.”
“Okay but don’t be long. I saw you and Vee making out. He’s gorgeous, don’t let that one go.” She winked.
She walked back, and sat beside Jamie, turning her back to Harley again. Jamie leant into her ear and whispered something to her. Her lips moved in response. He sat back and looked at me with clenched eyebrows and questioning eyes. I brushed it off. He knew what the fuck was wrong, so his concern was unnecessary.
11
Gabriel darted in and out of the dark clouds, his radiant wings gallantly moving behind him as he headed back to the cathedral to meet Iktok.
A violent assault on his ear drums caused him to drop from the nights sky. He landed on a rooftop opposite the building that was pro
ducing the offensive noise. A nightclub was packed with swaying humans, attempting to dance to the atrocious sound. There was a strong scent, mixed in, almost disguised, in the harsh bouquet of aftershave, perfume, sweat, alcohol and tobacco. He concentrated his senses, narrowing down the scent. Rich, deep, honeysuckle, fragmented with hints of spice, and earthy undertones.
It was her. She was here.
All it would take would be for him to walk into the nightclub and find her. But even he knew, it wouldn’t be that easy. Women today didn’t trust men like they used to. And the men today, had given them reason after reason for the distrust.
Not like… Gabriel lifted his hand to his chest, pressing it hard against the deep scar running diagonally over the flesh that covered his heart. It was the mark of being touched by evil, of making a deal with the devil. That deal was the single worst decision he had ever made.
He had been twenty-seven years old when his village was called upon to help a great warrior in battle. The elders agreed, as his village had been to battle many times, always returning home victorious. Joining forces, they travelled by sea to invade the enemy camp. But their foe was waiting in ambush. Gabriel was struck down.
As he lay in the mud, covered in blood, surrounded by his fellow men, a shadowy figure knelt beside him. The man promised life in exchange for Gabriel’s loyalty. He had not wanted to die.
The deal struck was done so in trickery.
Gabriel lost more that day than his mortality. He had unknowingly sacrificed the life of his wife and young child for his own. When he discovered this many years later, it completely shredded him, and tore his soul apart.
It had been millennia since their lives were taken, but the guilt of his selfish act never lessened, and anger festered within. This was his punishment.
Curse of Stone Page 3