Anger fuelled Aurora into putting on a show for her mate. Jax may have been stubborn, but he had nothing on her. If he wanted Lykos to mark her then she would make sure it was done right. No sign of Jax would remain. She turned her face towards Lykos. Their mouths hovered millimetres apart and his hot breath brushed over her lips as he whispered the words of the mate bond to her, first in Greek and then in English.
“…for the rest of my days, I am yours.”
Aurora’s stomach flipped and her raven screeched its disgust. They would not accept this claim. Lykos’s declaration provoked a gasp from Melaina and angry murmurs from the men. There was a scuffle, from the corner of her eye Aurora saw Marco speaking urgent words into Jax’s ear. Her mate visibly fumed as he watched but did nothing to stop the performance. She could envision what he and the others saw. A beautiful couple, her in the red dress, Lykos in a black dinner suit, as were all the men, openly showing their love for each other. Whether acting or not, she knew they were convincing.
She aimed a cold stare at her mate while Lykos continued to touch her with his scent. Determined to get a reaction from her mate, she relaxed her head against the muscular chest of the man behind her, closing her eyes and allowing her body to give in to him. Hands that had hung loosely by her sides, now reached back, and curved around Lykos’s thighs, holding him against her. His fingers continued their exploration of her body, moving from her throat, lower, grazing the exposed skin across the top of her breasts, until his palm came to rest on her stomach. The other hand released her hair and moved down to grip her hip. He pulled her against him, reminding her of the all too familiar bulge that told tale of his craving for her.
His whispered words brushed her cheek and the hand on her stomach back came up to lift her chin, so he could bring his lips down on hers. His tongue sought entry and she allowed it. Lykos groaned, blissfully and pulled her tightly against him. Jax had blocked her from his mind, but their bond was still very much intact. She felt his agony, warring with her own, as she responded, allowing Lykos to kiss her like he was her lover. Jax must have known she would react this way. His choice, she reminded herself and brought up a hand to tangle her fingers in Lykos’s hair.
-Enough!
Jax’s voice hit her forcefully, the link severing as quickly as it had connected. Satisfied that she had made her point, she pulled away from Lykos.
“To be continued, old man.” She shared an intimate smile with him.
“Old men do not render a woman weak at the knees with a kiss, Koraki.” His words were only for her and he returned her smile knowingly.
“It was a good kiss. I’d give it a seven.” Aurora extracted herself from Lykos’s hold, deliberately not looking at Jax. “Let’s go.”
“Seven?” Lykos grinned. “Challenge accepted.”
Aurora stalked towards the waiting vehicle, knowing Lykos would follow. She felt the weight of her brother’s furious glare when she passed; words weren’t necessary, she knew how he felt. Climbing into the passenger seat of the car, she enclosed herself in the secluded privacy of the vehicle. She needed to calm her anger. Her reaction to Lykos didn’t concern her. She’d known if she forced herself to let go, she could respond to him. He was an extremely attractive man and she had years of experience in being with a man who wasn’t her mate. Continuing to play the part, once they were under the close scrutiny of the auction goers, didn’t worry her either. Her anger with Jax, however, would be a hindrance and she fought now, to get it under control. Strong emotions were never a good thing when lives were at stake. Her hands gripped the seat on either side of her legs. Heaving deep breaths and burying the urge to scream, she felt her claws extend and rip into the seat, tearing the leather and burying themselves in the spongey surface. She fought to gain control, dropping the barrier, and letting Jax back in, the bond eased her pain and her breathing calmed.
Jax felt the mind block fall away. Opening his connection to Aurora once more, he probed her thoughts, letting her in again. She was there, enveloped in fury, and in partial shift. He could feel her struggle, though she refused to acknowledge him. It didn’t matter, his actions had resulted in his desired outcome and now that she was back inside his head, she would know why he’d done it. He sent his love through the link, easing her pain and helping her to subdue her raven.
Marco stepped into his space, eyes blazing and nostrils flared, his wolf barely under control. “He recited the fucking mate bond to her!”
“Let it go, Marco,” Jax’s low voice warned, his eyes on the closed door of the car Aurora had climbed into. She was in control now, not calm, but no longer clawing holes in the seats.
“The hell I will, what the fuck is wrong with you? Do you enjoy torturing yourself or something? You just served her up to him on a fucking platter.” Marco jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Lykos.
“You have my word, I will protect her with my life,” Lykos vowed to Jax, passing by on his way to the car.
Lykos had a good idea of what had happened between the two mates and although he’d enjoyed every second, he wasn’t fooling himself in to thinking any of it had been real. Jax met his eyes and gave him a quick nod in response. As much of a reaction as anyone could expect under the circumstances.
“Are you going to knock that fucker out, or am I?” Marco demanded.
“I said leave it,” Jax hissed through gritted teeth. He watched Lykos walk to the car and climb in the driver’s side. “Go and get in the car, we need to get moving.”
“I’m not getting in any car with him!” Marco snapped back.
“You will do what you need to do!” Jax snapped his head round to face Marco, his alpha power fringing his tone. Taking a breath, he calmed his temper before he spoke again. “I had no choice.”
“What do you mean?” Cole asked.
“Am I the only one who heard him recite the mate bond?” Marco demanded.
“It doesn’t matter what he said to her, she accepted my claim, not his. That was just a show she allowed him to put on because she was pissed off with me. What he said to her is irrelevant.”
“You need to explain!” Marco’s temper was not dissipating.
“She wasn’t going to let him do it. Ambrosios is unmated and holds a lifetime’s worth of grudges against Lykos. Plus, we don’t know who else is going to be there tonight. They all already think she’s mated to him and every shifter in the vicinity would be laying claim to her the second she walked through the door if she wasn’t marked. I don’t like it. I want to kill him because of it, but I’d rather have her reeking of him than left vulnerable,” Jax told the remaining shifters.
“Fuck,” Marco ran a hand over his face.
-I had to, Rory. I need you safe.
-Fuck you, Jax.
-Don’t block me, we need our connection open.
-Oh, you’ll hear me. Every time his hands are on me, you’ll hear me, don’t worry about that!
“He didn’t look like he was acting,” Hunter worried.
“He wasn’t, she was. I had to block her while I was pushing her into doing it, but our link is open again now, she knows why I did it. Like I said, she’s pissed off with me and she’s going to put on one hell of a show. You can’t react,” Jax told Marco, feeling relieved that Aurora was talking to him. Even if it was to abuse him. He had no doubt she would take great pleasure in punishing him for this one.
“But it will be an act, right?” Marco was concerned.
“It will,” Jax confirmed, grimly. “She knows I’ll be watching though, so she’s going to make it hurt.”
“Get a hold of yourself, Marco. Jax knows how best to deal with his mate and we have a job to do,” Zane told the young wolf.
Marco stepped into Jax’s space once again. A bold move for a beta against and alpha, but these two had grown up together, pack ranking meant little between them.
“When this is over, you seal that fucking bond, do you hear me?” Marco spat, harshly. “No more pussy footing around, no m
ore game playing, tie her to you!”
“I intend to,” Jax promised.
“Would you like to punch me now or collect them to be dished out at the end of our mission, Koraki? I intend for there to be many more opportunities for me to earn your wrath in your mate’s absence,” Lykos teased, as he climbed into the passenger seat and eyed the gashed passenger seat.
“We’ll work it off in the ring when all this is over.” After a brief glance, she looked away from him and turned to stare through the darkened glass of the passenger window. Her temper still simmered, but she had it under control.
Lykos started the car and pulled away, resting a hand on Aurora’s knee as he drove. She didn’t move away. Marco growled from his seat in the back of the car, alongside Melaina and Cole.
“I think your brother may need to be brought in line, Koraki.” Lykos glanced in the rear-view mirror at Marco. “Would you like me to do it?”
“We aren’t there yet. You don’t need to be touching her!” Marco accused, happy to take on the other man, alpha or not.
“Leave it, bud,” Cole attempted to pacify him. “We need your head in the game.”
“Are you going to fuck this up, Marco? Because we can let you out now if you can’t control yourself. Acting as beta to Lykos means you have his back, you’re his most trusted ally. If you can’t do it then you need to say so now,” Aurora said, with authority.
“I don’t see why he needs to be touching you. The pretence doesn’t begin until we’re inside.” Marco eyed the hand Lykos still rested on his sister’s thigh, one finger sliding beneath the long split in the side of the dress she wore.
“It’s more convincing this way,” Melaina commented. “We don’t know how long this is going to take and they’re going to have to keep it up the whole time. If they start now and stay in character it really does make it easier. It appears more natural than if they switch it on when they get there, it’s like a rehearsal.”
“What do you know about it?” Marco snapped, throwing a menacing look at the woman next to him.
“Mel speaks from experience. She is quite the actress.” Lykos winked at her in the rear-view mirror.
“And that isn’t at all concerning. Are you hearing this, sis?” Marco aimed at Aurora.
“We can trust them, Marco,” Aurora assured him.
Her eyes were on the passenger wing mirror, watching the car that followed a few vehicles back. Jax was in that car and he hadn’t stopped talking at her since they’d left. Advising her, going over the plan, making sure she was prepared for every scenario he could come up with. She’d entertained him for a while but now he was annoying her. She was still angry with him despite knowing he’d only had her safety in mind. Why couldn’t he trust her to take care of herself? For the last few minutes he’d been telling her, in great detail, how he was going to put his own scent back on her when she was back in his arms. She’d be lying if she claimed she wasn’t turned on by his words, but she wasn’t about to let him know that.
-Do you think it’s wise to turn me on while I’m pretending to be in a relationship with another man?
-You won’t act on it, wild thing.
-He has his hand on my thigh, under my dress. His fingers are moving higher. Your words made me wet, Jax. He can smell it. If I move my leg, he’ll feel it. Should I let him think it was his hands on me that caused it? Shall I let him finish what you started?
She sent the description through their connection, embellishing her feelings and Jax became silent. She smiled to herself. Peace.
“The turn off is up ahead.” Zane sat in the second vehicle and spoke over the radio to the car in front of them. “We’ll continue to the next exit and meet you there. All radio contact ends now, further comms through Jax and Aurora’s link only.”
“Roger that,” Cole responded from the other vehicle.
“Be safe.” Zane cut contact and turned to Jax, who was in the back seat, Hunter was driving. “Ready?”
“Let’s get shit done!” Jax said, determination evident in his response.
“We come off at the next exit,” Zane informed Hunter, who nodded in response. “That brings us parallel to the road the museum is on. We go in through the back of the opposite building, which we know isn’t guarded.”
Hunter nodded again, speeding up as the vehicle carrying the rest of the team turned off the duel carriageway and disappeared from view.
“From there, we set up the hack into their CCTV and get eyes inside. As soon as the dagger is in our hands, Hunter and I take out the guards while Jax gets in position for the extraction,” Zane continued.
“Sniper on the roof.” Hunter grinned in the mirror at Jax. “Your favourite spot, bud. You know, it wouldn’t be a tragedy if your finger slipped and you took out Lykos in the heat of the moment.”
“Don’t think it hasn’t already crossed my mind,” Jax replied, darkly.
Lykos handed the key to the parking valet and took Aurora’s hand in his. Marco, Cole and Melaina followed closely behind. They made their way into the museum through a private entrance and into a room full of people. Men in dark suits and women in expensive cocktail dresses milled around the room. They talked in groups and couples, while sipping on champagne and nibbling canapes handed out by waiting staff dressed in black and white uniforms.
“Champagne?” A stuffy waiter in a starched white shirt and bowtie stood at the entrance, extending a tray of champagne flutes to the guests on arrival.
“Thank you,” Lykos took two glasses and passed one to Aurora, leaning forward to kiss her when she took it.
Marco managed to hold his temper and moved away from their group as planned, to scope out the rest of the room. Melaina, who had been supposed to stay with Marco, branched off with Cole in the other direction, leaving Aurora and Lykos alone. Their sole purpose was to be noticed.
“So, how do these things work?” Aurora sipped her champagne and looked around the room with interest. She was already attracting attention, whispers, and speculation as to her identity were flying around the room.
“This is a holding area, where all the guests arrive and are offered refreshments. It’s as much of an opportunity for us to check out the competition as it is for the organisers to single out the big money spenders and anyone who might cause a problem. We’re being watched, there are cameras in every corner of the room. When they’re satisfied with what they see, we will be herded into a display room, where the bidders can view the exhibits before the auction begins.” Lykos rested his hand on the small of Aurora’s back as they wandered around the room. He nodded greetings to familiar faces but nobody dared approach them.
Despite his unusual presence in Greece, Lykos’s reputation was strong enough among these people that they knew not to ask questions. He hadn’t returned to the country in years and although the story was not well publicised, it was known that he was estranged from his family. News of his presence wouldn’t have stayed quiet once he walked into the museum, the walls had eyes and ears. Ambrosios would know his little brother had come home.
Aurora’s fingers, threading through his, bringing his attention back to the room and he gazed down into her dark and sultry eyes. “Where did you go?”
“Nowhere that is as important as being here with you, Koraki.” He bent once again to take her mouth with his, tasting the champagne on her tongue.
“I’m keeping count, you know,” she laughed, when he pulled away.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he teased. “it may not be the trip to my home I envisioned with you, but you are here.”
They continued to work their way around the room, meeting up with Cole and Melaina at the back, near a bar. Cole reported that while several parties were interested in seeing how much the dagger went for, none of them seemed interested in buying it themselves. It was an undisclosed, secret lot that was causing more of a stir among the bidders.
“Good news. If we have no competition, we can grab it and go,” Aurora remark
ed.
“Might want to hang around for this secret one, sis.” Marco joined them, casually sidling up alongside his sister and speaking close to her ear. “Just heard a whisper that it’s a book, could be our missing prophecy.”
“Where did the whisper originate from?” Lykos pried.
“Group by the exit, big money spenders from the sounds of them, lots of conversation going on among them. They know their stuff when it comes to these things. There’s also talk of a vampire turning up tonight, they reckon he’s the one selling the secret lot, which ties in for us.”
Aurora nodded and felt along the connection for Jax.
-Seems the dagger isn’t taking centre stage tonight as we thought. Vampire with a book to sell is the rumour.
-Sounds like something we might be interested in, keep in touch but if it looks like shits hitting, get the fuck out of there.
-This isn’t my first rodeo, Jax.
-I’m allowed to care, wild thing. Any sign of Ambrosios?
-Not yet, they have us in a holding room, waiting to view the exhibit.
-Roger that, we have eyes on the room.
A tall man, with shoulder length hair and piercing blue eyes began speaking to Melaina, she turned to smile sweetly at him. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear and she laughed. Lykos, noticing the two, stiffened. He flexed the fingers that rested on Aurora’s hip and drew her attention to him as his brother caught his eye over Melaina’s shoulder.
The Raven Queen Page 34