by Melissa Haag
“We do, courtesy of the Council. Enough for a nice dinner and the clothes necessary to get in. Ready for breakfast and a day of shopping?”
I made a face.
“I think you’re confusing me with Eliana. I only buy new clothes when the ones I own are falling off of me.”
A wicked gleam entered his gaze, and I held up my hand in a very Oanen-like move.
“Let’s pretend I didn’t say that last part. Feed me, and I’ll go shopping.”
* * * *
I examined the price tag and almost gagged.
“Who pays this much for a dress?” I asked myself.
Lifting my head, I scanned the store for Oanen and found him sitting in the lounge on the other side of the room. One of the female attendants was offering him a drink. It had been the same when we’d stopped at the suit place. While Oanen was being measured, one of the male attendants had brought me a glass of champagne and offered a shoulder massage. For a moment, I’d thought the guy had been hitting on me. But he’d done the same for the next woman who’d walked in with her husband. Given the fact I’d been drugged by bacon and that Oanen had a hard time with me receiving any male attention, I’d declined both the drink and the massage.
However, Oanen seemed to have no problem accepting his champagne and shoulder rub.
Narrowing my eyes at the woman, I turned my back to them and continued browsing through dresses. I was out of my element. They all looked fancy to me. But so did the black lacy dress that I owned.
I took my phone out and dialed Eliana.
Since it was in the middle of school, I didn’t expect her to pick up on the third ring.
“Hey, Megan,” she said breathlessly.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just ran out of General Living Skills.”
“You didn’t need to do that. I could have left a voicemail.”
“Are you kidding? It’s General Living Skills. I know how to live with humans. The class is a waste of my time. What’s up? Why’d you call?”
“I’m hoping you can help me pick out a dress. It’s supposed to be for a super fancy restaurant. Think high class, not hooker.”
Eliana sniggered.
“Turn on video chat and show me the options.”
I did as she asked and panned the dresses.
“Grab the red one, the gold one, and that lavender one. Those colors will look good on you.”
Each dress had a plunging neckline. I turned the phone around, already shaking my head.
“Those won’t work. I have a bruise,” I said vaguely, knowing Oanen could probably hear, “and need something with a higher neckline.
“Okay. Show me again.”
She picked three different ones, which would cover the burns on my front and my back. I went to grab them from the racks, but Eliana stopped me.
“No, no, no. You wave one of the attendants over. They handle the dresses while showing you to a fitting room. Send me pics of each one front and back so I can tell you which works. I better get back to class.”
“Thank you,” I said quickly.
Pocketing my phone, I looked toward the attendant hovering around Oanen. When I caught her attention, I waved her over. The woman took the dresses and showed me to a changing room. I dutifully sent a picture of myself in each dress to Eliana.
She chose the one in rose gold and gave me the strict order to pair it with large diamond stud earrings and a soft updo because of the high neckline. I smirked as I typed up my response.
What exactly does an up do?
You’re hopeless. When you get home, we’re going shopping for a week so I can be assured you’ll not go out looking like a frump.
Frump? When did my grandma get here?
I’m texting Oanen that I need a picture before you walk out the door.
Grinning, I stepped out of the changing room once again in my everyday clothes. A giggle across the store drew my attention. Both of the women were again hovering around Oanen, each rubbing a shoulder. I might not have bird hearing, but the way the one was leaning forward and trying to give Oanen a view of her cleavage hit me right between the eyes with the rage stick.
Oanen stood quickly and strode toward me, capturing my face between his hands and blocking my view of the two women I needed to kill.
“Let go,” I said between clenched teeth.
“This wasn’t intentional, but perhaps you now understand how I felt every time I saw Fenris touching you.”
I scowled up at him.
“Fenris is a friend. One I trust not to push that boundary. Miss Hotstuff, here, is a ho who wants to ride your man-stick.” He kept my face firmly between his hands, and I knew why when I saw a flicker of orange glow cast on his face.
“You’re the only one who gets to ride me, Megan. Now and forever. And, unlike you, I love every ounce of jealousy you’re displaying. However, we might want to make it a little less public.”
I huffed out a breath.
“Would you like to purchase that dress?” a female voice asked.
My gaze narrowed.
Oanen bent his head and kissed me swiftly with so much passion that the room spun. I clutched at his shoulders and returned his kiss with every bit of need I felt for him. When he pulled away, I could only blink stupidly at his handsome face.
“Yes, we want the dress,” Oanen said without looking away from me. He tugged it out of my arms and handed it off before returning to my lips.
“God, she is so lucky. What I wouldn’t give for an hour alone with him.”
The whisper snapped me out of the moment, and I jerked away from Oanen.
He didn’t release me.
“I’m blinded by you, Megan” he said. “Struck senseless. There isn’t a sunrise or sunset that can compare to the beauty of your eyes. Or any temptation that could lure me away from the chance of a moment in your welcoming arms. There is only you.”
I sighed in defeat.
“You win. There will be no maiming today.”
“I’d like to guarantee that.”
“How?”
“Close your eyes and let me carry you out of here.”
“I bought a ridiculously priced dress and need diamond stud earrings the size of my pinky nails to go with it. Since I’m dressing like a diva, I might as well act like one. Go ahead and carry me out to the car, bird boy.”
He grinned, and I closed my eyes as he bent to pick me up.
“You bitches better not be looking at his backside,” I called over my shoulder as he walked out the door.
He chuckled and paused long enough for two bags to be set on my stomach. Thankfully, they didn’t touch my front burn.
I waited to speak until the sound of traffic indicated we were outside again.
“So where am I going to go buy earrings?” I asked.
“Nowhere. Eliana will pick something from her jewelry and have Adira leave it in the apartment before we get home.”
I opened my eyes to peer up at him.
“She also demanded a picture, stating, and I quote, ‘No friend of mine can show up at La Fatiata Torbeni’s looking like a hobo.’”
“Jeans and t-shirts do not make me a hobo.”
“This is not a battle I will ever win. Talk to Eliana.”
“Chicken.”
“Nope. Griffin. But I hear there’s a close family resemblance when we’re young.”
I snorted and held the bags as he opened the door and deposited me inside. Despite the bustling sidewalks and busy shops, only a few wisps of wicked distracted me from my perusal of Oanen’s backside as he walked around the car.
“It's not the same, you know,” I said when he got in. “Your jealousy and mine.”
“How is that?”
“I could see that woman wanted to get into your pants. Fenris didn't want to get into mine.”
“I'm still not sure about that.”
I snorted.
“Trust me, he has no interest in me that way. At all
.”
“He sure made it seem that way.”
Annoyed, I lifted my phone and typed out a quick message to Fenris.
Enough’s enough. I’m telling him.
I understand. But promise you’ll keep him away from Uttira for at least 3 weeks afterward so he cools down.
Deal.
I turned slightly in my seat and faced Oanen.
“I'll tell you why Fenris acted the way he did, but you have to swear to me that once I tell you, you won’t do anything to hurt Fenris physically, mentally, or emotionally.”
Oanen's expression closed off.
“Tell me.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise I won’t do anything until we’re home.”
“And you won’t go home without me?”
“No. We stick together.”
“Okay then. Fenris likes Eliana.”
Oanen frowned a little and glanced at me.
“That doesn’t deny the possibility of him having interest in you, too. You’ve seen how he is with females. He likes them all.”
I made a face.
“I think it's a bigger deal than Fenris is letting on. Remember how he loved hugging me? He was doing it to smell Eliana on me. Like a lot. And when I found out that you were into me because of this whole mate and bonding thing and freaked out, Fenris came into the kitchen when I was boiling hot and burned himself to calm me down. And why did he risk himself like that? Because Eliana was worried. It had nothing to do with me. It was all about her. The level of interest he was showing…” I shrugged. “I don't know anything about this mate run. But, I know Fenris said something about once a werewolf catches a scent that he finds irresistible, he won't let up. I think Fenris’ irresistible is Eliana.”
Oanen’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, and I heard the leather crackle.
I reached over and set my hand on his leg.
“I can’t think of anyone better for Eliana than Fenris.”
“In what world is that leg-humper good enough for Eliana?”
I grinned at his brotherly sentiment.
“In the world where a succubus is afraid of anything sexual. Fenris is waiting for her, Oanen. He's giving her space and time. He's fighting every single urge he has. If that doesn't mean he's good enough for her, I don't know what does.”
Oanen let out a long breath, and his grip relaxed slightly.
“Does she know?”
“No. Just like you swore Eliana to secrecy, Fenris swore me to secrecy. He thinks if she knows, she'd freak out even more.”
Oanen nodded.
“We need to resolve the troll deaths and your sickness then get back to Uttira.”
“About that. I promised that I'd keep you out of Uttira for the next three weeks.”
“I thought you said you wanted to hurry up and get back for Eliana.”
“Yes, I do. You, however, need to stay out of her and Fenris’ business, and I don't think you're going to if you're nearby. Maybe you’d be willing to let me stay in Uttira while you’re out on enforcer business?”
He held up a hand to stall me from saying anything else. “Let's worry about that when we return to Uttira later. Right now, we have more important things to worry about.”
“Like what?”
“Like our first real dinner date.”
My stomach did a happy dance.
Several hours, multiple Eliana calls, and a dozen makeup tutorials later, I emerged from the apartment bathroom, dressed and ready for a late dinner at La Fatiata Torbeni’s.
I nervously smoothed my hands down my skirt and gave myself one more sweeping glance. The high neckline of the floor-length dress circled my neck, covering my burns but leaving my shoulders bare. The strings of material that ran down my sides to connect the front and back didn’t cover much at all. Between the delicate cross lacings, my skin showed from the side of my breast all the way to my hip.
Even with so much exposed, the dress had class. The earrings and softly upswept hair helped.
I looked amazing. But, for how long? Even though my temper had been quiet, I worried that tonight it would rear its ugly head.
“Don’t screw this up, Megan. One busted lacing and you’ll look like you’re wearing a loincloth,” I warned myself in the mirror before turning away to leave the bedroom.
At the sound of the door opening, Oanen stopped his pacing in the living room and turned to look at me.
He said nothing as I did a slow turn with my arms a little raised.
“Breathtaking,” he finally said.
“You're not so bad yourself.”
He was positively mouthwatering. The dark suit fit him to perfection, accentuating his golden good looks. The increasing amber flooding into his eyes created a warm pool in my middle.
If we kept staring hungrily at each other, I knew what would happen whether I thought myself ready or not.
“Ready to feed me?” I asked.
He offered his arm and escorted me from the apartment.
I wasn't going to lie to myself; I felt like a damn princess. But in a good way.
Oanen couldn't stop glancing at me all the way to the restaurant, which was a great distraction from the annoyance crawling under my skin.
When we arrived, more than one well-dressed patron glanced my way. With all the flattering male attention, it was hard to remember why we were there.
The Maître D led us to the high-ceilinged dining room and pulled out my chair for me. Oanen waved him away. I smiled and let Oanen help me sit. Not that I needed it. When I was appropriately seated, his fingers brushed the back of my neck.
“I wish we would have stayed home,” he said close to my ear.
I shivered, and he chuckled before taking his own seat.
A server brought us leather-bound portfolios; and another server appeared with a green bottle, which he opened with a flourish and poured into two glasses for us. All the while, the first one spoke in low tones about the chef’s two menu options for the night.
“We’ll need a few moments,” I said when he stopped talking and looked at me expectantly.
He walked away, and I glanced at Oanen.
“What the hell kind of place is this?”
“The kind that requires a suit jacket, doesn’t put prices on the menu, and caters to everyone.”
I opened the menu and saw he was right. I also saw that I didn’t understand half of what was on the fancy paper.
“Is this in English?”
“Yes. Most of it. Why?”
“The only English bits I understand are eel, sole, and tuna. I’m going to starve.”
“The chef is amazing. Give the food a chance.”
“You weren’t almost eaten by an overgrown fish. Several of them. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat seafood again.”
“There’s a duckling with fig sauce.”
“Perfect.” I snapped my menu shut, and the server returned immediately.
A burst of sultry feminine laughter drew my attention to the other side of the room while Oanen ordered for us. A large table of seven men and one familiar female dined there. Nicolette leaned toward the man on her left and gave him a long kiss while the rest watched wistfully.
Our server moved away, and I looked at Oanen.
“Now what?”
“Now we enjoy our meal. As long as she’s sitting there, there’s nothing for us to do. When she leaves, we’ll follow and see what we learn.”
For the next hour and a half, we did just that. Course after artistically displayed tiny course, we consumed our meal and speculated about when Elbner and Piepen would arrive in Uttira, how long I’d enjoy a rainbow-colored house, where we’d travel when everything was done, and how I wouldn’t try to kill the chef for tucking a chunk of raw tuna into an innocent looking ball of crumbs.
After all our plates were cleared, Oanen came around to help me stand again.
“Where are we going?” I asked, flicking my gaze at Nicolette’s tab
le. They were still drinking wine and eating their meal.
As I watched, a well-dressed older man approached their group from the bar area. Nicolette smiled seductively as he leaned down to say something to her.
Her sultry laugh rang out in the room again.
“I’m sure you would taste divine, but I enjoy youth over experience.”
The comment only further confirmed that Nicolette wouldn’t have gone after an old troll.
Oanen set my hand on his arm and guided me out of the restaurant into the cold winter evening and quickly helped me into his car. Positioned to watch the entrance, he started the engine but didn’t pull away from the curb.
He reached into the back and wrapped a soft cream-colored blanket around me.
“Where did this come from?”
“The apartment. I wasn’t sure how long we’d need to wait tonight,” he said.
“You heard Nicolette when we left, right?” I said.
“Yes.”
“There’s zero link here. We need to call the Council.”
“We can try.” He dialed Adira’s number and put her on speaker phone.
“Have you followed her home?” Adira asked.
“Not yet. She’s still in the restaurant.”
“Adira, I don't think she’s the killer. She’s into young men. There’s nothing linking her to any of the troll deaths. And, I don’t sense anything around her. If she were a killer, wouldn't my fury be going crazy?”
The line was quiet for a long moment.
“Have you passed out again?” she asked. “Since the gas station?”
I looked up at Oanen and gave him a dirty look.
“What does that have to do with anything?” I paused and frowned. “Do you know something I should know?”
“Fury,” she said respectfully, “I know many things that you do not know. But I doubt any of it would help you. It is the belief of the Council that Nicolette is guilty regardless of what you currently sense. Notify me when you have her subdued, and I will retrieve her.”
Adira disconnected the call.
“Subdued? What in the hell does that mean?”
“It means I need to fight Eliana's pregnant mom.”
Chapter Nine
“The Council is so stupid. Why can’t they see there’s no proof that Nicolette is guilty?” I shifted in my seat, irritated.