“I’m lost.”
“The mating is like a cycle where every month we exude pheromones to attract a mate. Grayson feels we’re too young to be mated, so we stay away at those times of the month.”
“Like a period?”
They nodded in unison. “Except, this happened a week before the full moon.”
Was that why the wolves downstairs had been so interested in me? It explained Grayson’s reaction and why he’d wanted me in his chambers where it was safe? Had I been too harsh on him?
I pressed my palms to my thighs and leaned forward slightly. “I guess I still have a lot to learn.”
“So, you’ll eat with us?”
I opened my mouth to say yes, but the beast inside reared her head.
We do not hide. We do not cower.
I sat back and crossed my arms. “Maybe next time.” I smiled to soften the rejection.
They stared at me, wide-eyed.
“You’ll eat with the males?” Eliza shook her head. “The alpha won’t allow it.”
My smile felt wicked on my face, and the Loup inside me rejoiced. “Yes, I will, and no, I don’t need permission. I don’t see why I should be hidden just because they can’t control their urges. They’re big, strong Loup in body, maybe they need to work on strengthening their minds.”
Beth’s eyes lit up. “Now this I need to see.”
Chapter Five
Azazel
Mal and Conah wait for me on the pinnacle. I know the news is less than favorable even before I land.
“How is she?” Mal asks.
“How do you think? Scared but putting on a brave face.”
Mal looks torn. “She’ll need clothes. I packed her some things.”
I notice the bag at his feet for the first time. “I’ll take them to her.”
He gives me a fuck-you smile. “Nah, I think I’ll pay our Dominus a visit in the flesh. She could probably do with a little cheer.”
I’m the humorless one. The cold one. The one made of stone. Let them think me distant. It’s better that way. They can’t know how my heart is still racing from the kiss I shared with Fee. They can’t know how her taste is still on my tongue, or how the memory of her skin beneath my fingertips will haunt me. I won’t touch her again. I can’t because if I do, then I’ll be lost. If I do, then I’ll forget the dangers and abandon myself to what my soul and body crave.
Her.
I crave her like my lungs crave oxygen, and kissing her today was like finally taking a breath.
“Can we trust Grayson to keep her safe?” Conah asks. But it’s more to himself than to us.
“Bit late now,” Mal drawls. “Now that we’ve handed her over to the wolves.”
“Better Grayson than Hunter,” I say. “He was there today. He wants her, and Grayson will make sure he doesn’t get her.”
“But Grayson’s a Loup, too. An alpha male…” Conah inhales and shakes his head. “And Fee…God, if he lays a hand on her.”
My insides clench and twist, and I swallow my rage. I saw the way the alpha looked at her like he wanted to devour her, and I wasn’t so sure she wasn’t amenable to the idea.
“Fee can handle herself. She’s part Loup, and if she decides she wants to…” Rage chokes off my words, and I turn away, hands on hips. “I’ll be checking in on her.”
My soul mark throbs. They can’t know that Fee is my soulmate. No one can. If Lilith found out... No, I won’t think about that. As long as my connection to Seraphina is a secret, she’ll be safe.
I turn back to Conah and Mal. “We need to focus on finding Lucas.”
“The bastard is elusive,” Mal said.
“He’s frightened and confused…” Conah says.
“Or he’s hiding deliberately.” Mal shrugs. “He was a wanker when alive, who knows what shit taints his soul.”
Conah’s jaw ticks. “No. I checked him out. He’s clean.”
“We’ve searched the whole of Necro,” Mal says. “Cora is still out searching.”
I lock eyes with Mal. “Not the whole of Necro.”
He grits his teeth. “I’ll do it,” he says. “If he’s in the Eye, then I will find him.”
“Fuck,” Conah says. “Of course. He’s a perfect candidate for those bastards.”
I suppress a shudder at the thought of the malignant hub. “I’m coming with you.”
Conah nods. “Three sets of eyes are better than one.”
Mal taps a message into his comm. “Looks like I won’t be delivering Fee’s things after all. But I know who can.”
Chapter Six
After Eliza and Beth left, I realized how exhausted I was and how comfortable the bed was. Sleep was instantaneous. I wasn’t sure how long I slept, but I woke suddenly to pitch black and the sensation of being watched. As my eyes adjusted to the dark and my Loup vision came on, I found a large figure looming over me.
Fuck!
“How are you feeling?” Grayson said.
I gave my pulse a moment to settle. “Fine.” I stretched and noted how his eyes roved up and down my body. It was almost intimate being in the dark with him. Just the two of us in his bedroom.
We should have him. Have him inside us, beneath us, on top of us.
In a fucking salad with dressing. Shut it, wolfy. But there was no denying that her stupid words in my head were having an effect on my pulse, speeding it up for a different reason this time.
Grayson’s nostrils flared, and his fists clenched at his sides. “I’ll have Petra bring you a tray.”
My stomach grumbled. “Did I miss dinner?”
“No. We’re about to eat.”
Ah, okay. This was what Eliza and Beth had been talking about, and it was the perfect time to deal with the issue head-on.
“Then I’ll come down and join you.”
No,” Grayson said flatly.
“Excuse me?” I swung my legs off the bed and canted my head slightly while looking up at him. “Am I a prisoner?”
His jaw ticked. “No.”
I kept my voice light and non-confrontational. “Then why do I have to eat in my room?”
“Because it’s safer that way,” he said bluntly.
I narrowed my eyes. “I thought I was safe with your pack?”
He made a sound of exasperation deep in his throat. “You are. But I’d prefer if you steered clear of them for the next few days.”
Oh, dear, I was enjoying needling him a little too much. I blinked innocently up at him. “Why? Because your Loup can’t control their cocks?”
He flinched and then let out a short bark of laughter. “You have no idea.”
His tone was condescending, and annoyance unfurled inside me.
I stood to face him. “Yes, actually, I do. Eliza and Beth filled me in on the mating and the pheromone stuff, but you see, I think that’s bullshit. Why should we hide because the males can’t control their libidos?”
He took a step toward me, and I locked my knees to stop myself from backing up.